The Joshua Victor Theory

Sermon on Deuteronomy 18:15-20, for the 4th Sunday after Epiphany, "The Prophet"

2012-01-30T13:20:00.000-06:00

Sermon Outline:

1. Moses foretells a great prophet: likehim; an Israelite; God would raise Him up; God’s Words directly in His mouth;speak all of God’s commands. Recounts the episode from Mt. Horeb and Israel’sresponse. Booming of the law and terror of God’s majesty too fearful and great.“Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire anymore, lest I die.” They wanted Moses to hear from God and speak to them,instead of directly. “Unmediated encounter” with God was too terrifying. Godsaid: “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” Before Godall masks, pretensions, pride, excuses, self-justifications fall away. Sin isexposed, and like gasoline before a fire, is consumed. Before God our sin iscombustible material. Not safe. Cf. Isaiah 6 “A man of unclean lips!”. Lordsays it is right that they seek a mediator instead.

2. People sometime object againstChristianity; they don’t need a “middle-man” or mediator between them and God. As a pastor, I’m not that mediatoror “middle-man” between you and God—that job is already filled by Jesus Christ!He is the One and only mediator between God and man; not an unwelcome“middle-man” who’s there to interfere or mix up the message--but God’s directvoice. Can repair our broken relationship with God. Seeking an unmediatedencounter (apart from Jesus) between us and God, is asking for trouble!! Apartfrom the forgiveness of our sins in Jesus Christ, and the holiness ofsanctification by His Spirit, none of us can see God (Heb. 12:14). And to seeGod without Jesus’ covering or atonement for our sin would be death for us. Soinstead we should be infinitely thankful for Jesus’ mediation, His intercessionbetween God and us. Like the defense attorney who stands in our favor, He isfor us.

3. Avoid an easy misunderstanding to landin—that Jesus is the “nice one” and the Father is the “angry one” whom Jesushas to “soften up” or appease. Father, Son, (and Spirit) are not divided inpurpose toward us, either in their wrath against sin, or in their mercy andlove towards sinners.

4. What was the purpose of Moses’ ministry,if due to be replaced by the greater ministry of Jesus, the prophet heforetold? “The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through JesusChrist.” Law indeed is given to terrify, awaken sinful consciences, disturb thehypocritical and proud hearts, to throw us entirely and utterly on God’s graceand mercy. Melt away any human pretensions before Him. To think we can build arelationship with God on those is utterly false and deadly. Only on themediation and the gracious intercession of Jesus Christ are we givena right relationship with God. Moses’ ministry was preparatory for the graceand truth that comes through the greater ministry of Jesus Christ. The heartmade humble by God’s law can rightly receive the greater comfort and love ofthe Gospel of Christ. Can hear unimpeded the words of God from the mouth ofJesus, His prophet, to hear and obey. Find life and courage instead of fear anddeath. Approach God through the “throne of grace with confidence” through theshed blood of Jesus.

5. Danger of ignoring the voice ofconscience, informed by God’s Word. Resisting the work of the Spirit to convictthrough the law. Find ourselves without mediation. But the only answer to thevoice of an accusing conscience is to turn to the Gospel of Christ, and embraceGod’s forgiveness. God kills our sin to make us alive again in Christ. Burdens,guilt, shame, a nagging conscience can only be lifted through the sweet voiceof the Gospel of Jesus.

6. Jesus, the prophet greater than Moses,came with God’s Word of power and authority, with miracles, with thecommandments of God, and with “gracious words His lips express” the goodmessage of God’s kingdom. Moses warned to heed (pay close attention to) this prophet,for God Himself would hold them accountable to Him. Therefore we should listen carefully toJesus’ Words as the very Word of God Himself.

7. Final warning against false prophets.For Israel, a theocracy, unique requirement that false prophets deserved death.So seriously did God guard the purity and truth of His word and teaching in Hisname. The danger of false teaching is so deadly—not simply an earthly matter,but a spiritual matter of our eternity. To go astray after other gods iscondemnation. To follow error that is taught in God’s name is not only a graveinsult to God’s name, it also can be destructive of faith. For NT, samediscernment between true and false expected—test against the Word. But simplycorrect, rebuke, and avoid such false teaching. Have nothing to do with it. Nogreater prophet than Jesus will arise—no new or different revelation thanwhat’s given in Him. Thanks be to God that He is our One mediator and we neednever fear that His mediation would ever cease or be replaced. His is theassured word of God, testified to by His death and resurrection from the dead,showing Him to be the fulfillment of everything Moses pointed forward to, andthe One whom God sent to be our mediator to bring us life and salvation as weencounter God by faith in Jesus Christ. In His name, Amen.

SermonTalking Points

Readpast sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listento audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. The Israeliteshad been terrified at their direct encounter with God at Mount Horeb (Sinai),and wanted no more. Read about their experience and reaction: Exodus 19:1-20:21; Deuteronomy 5. What was their requestinstead? Ex. 20:19; Deut. 5:24-27; 18:16

2. Does it surpriseyou that God commended their request? Why was there a need for a mediatorbetween God and man? John 1:18; Exodus 33:17-23, esp. vs. 20. 1 Tim. 6:16; Heb.12:14; 12:18-24. Why would it be dangerous for us to seek an “unmediatedencounter” with God? Who is the One and Only Mediator that God has nowappointed between Himself and mankind? 1 Timothy 2:4; Heb. 12:24; 8:6; 9:15

3. What was thepurpose of Moses’ ministry as mediator to the Israelites, and what did hisprophetic message do/accomplish? How does the work of the Law continue in ourlives (and consciences)? Heb. 3:1-6; 2 Cor. 3:7-18; Rom. 7:7-14; Gal. 3:19-29

4. If Moses’ministry (of the Law) brought knowledge of sin and death, what was Jesus’prophetic ministry to bring? John 1:17; Heb. 12:22-24; Gal. 3:25-26; 2 Cor.3:17-18

5. How does theGospel of Jesus Christ give answer to the deepest accusation of the Law againstus? Why is the Spirit’s work of breaking our sinfulness (turning us to Him) thenecessary precursor to faith in Christ and receiving that blessed forgiveness?What happens when we oppose or resist the power of God’s Word working in us?

6. What is the OTwarning against false prophets? Deut. 18:20-22; 13:1-5; Jer. 23:9-40. What isthe NT warning? 1 John 4:1ff; Matt. 24:11, 23-27; 7:15-16; 2 Tim. 3:5-9; 1 Tim.6; Acts. 17:11.

Sermon on Mark 1:14-20, for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, "Fishers of Men"

2012-01-23T12:17:00.000-06:00

Sermon Outline:

1. Jesus calls the first disciples.Ordinary, fisherman, at their occupation, uses their talents in a new endeavor.Not prominent teachers of the law, Pharisees or priests He encountered. Not powerfulpoliticians, judges, or military commanders (although in time, they wouldfollow the fishermen, tax collectors, and other commoners who came to callJesus as Lord). He could have come for the rich, the powerful, and theintelligent, and the poor and the common would have remained the “have-nots” inmore way than one. But instead He came to proclaim good news to the poor, andto use ordinary men to carry and spread His message. So that the exceedingpower of God might be seen, rather than the glory of men. You too are calledfrom whatever station or position in life you may be. Come! Follow Jesus!

2. Some men may also have the call to leavetheir profession for full-time service to Christ as a pastor. Have you feltthat call? Many others may have the call to teaching, mission work, mercyservice, or other ways to be “fishers of men.” All of us can support the workof missionaries. But every time anyone of us tells somebody else the good newsabout Jesus—how He died for our sins and rose for our life, we too are castingGod’s net. “fishers of men.”

3. Net of God’s grace and love. Spread whenthe Gospel/good news of God is proclaimed throughout the world. The messagethat goes out is one of repentance and forgiveness—turn away from your sin,have a change of heart. Receive God’s free gift of forgiveness. Believe whatJesus did.

4. Full net of fish being hauled out of thewater. Flopping, struggling to breathe. Imagine—coming into air, terrified,unable to get oxygen—die out of the water. From natural environment, to leaveis death. Our original spiritual environment of sin, however, to stay is death.Unlike a fish remaining in water, if we’re left in our “sinful state” we willdie in it. But coming out of it also involves a “death.” When Jesus has usdrawn up in His net, carried out of sin by His cross, we die with Him in the cross.That is our old sinful nature, that part of us that clings to sin and flops andstruggles against coming up into the air of God’s new life, dies in our baptisminto Christ Jesus. We die with Christ in baptism, drawn up in His nets.

5. “Above the surface” in the air of God’sforgiveness and new life; a struggle, longing for the old familiar environs ofsin. Want what’s familiar, comfortable. A conscience that did not know its sin.Israelites—freed from slavery in Egypt, but after a short trip into the desertwith Moses, decided that they were better off slaves in Egypt; vegetables andfood they craved. But after we’ve coughed, gasped and spluttered, we realizethat we can in fact breathe “up here” because God’s Spirit is breath and He isLife. We realize that God has “netted us” for salvation because it is only inHim that we can truly live and breathe, and not die.

6. A fish, on its own, cannot stay abovethe surface of the water. Leap; even glide for a short time, but cannot take upresidence in the air, soar into the clouds, or transform their “lifestyle” tolive “above the surface.” Likewise, we as sinners, who live in our sinfulnature, cannot on our own transport ourselves out of our sinful existence andinto the new life “above the surface” that God gives. Only in Christ Jesus canwe die to our old sinful nature and find our new life that is hidden withChrist in God. Completely by the grace of God > die to old sinful nature andways, and repent or return to the Lord. New life is out of reach unless firstnetted by Christ.

7. The call to faith in Jesus Christ, pullsus “above the surface” and gives us a new perspective on life. Spiritualperspective, enlightened by God’s Word. Present form of this world is passingaway (1 Cor. 7:31). Temporary nature of our lives, and see through the earthly“props” of this life that will ultimately give way. Only God’s Word is sure,certain, and unchanging, eternal. See sin for what it is. See how great thedistance was between God and us, and Christ entering that gap, bringing us backto Him. We begin to see how great His love for us is, and how He has showeredblessing upon those who believe. Perspective of faith.

8. We begin to see His reign, which ishidden from our eyes. Jesus proclaimed the “kingdom of God is at hand!” The reignof earthly kings (rulers) is visible through flags, national borders, ID cards,passports, language and other markings. But God’s kingdom is not visible to thenaked eye in this way. No visible borders. No single language. No single customof dress or clothing worn by Christians. You could not stand on a balcony at acrowded airport or sports stadium and identify who were the Christians and whowere not. The reign of Jesus as King in individual lives and hearts is hiddenfrom our eyes. Yet there are “marks of the Church” by which we can identify thevisible church of Christ on earth. And those marks, given and established byChrist Himself, are the pure teaching of His gospel (good news) and the correctadministering of the Sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Where these arepresent, there is the visible sign or mark of God’s kingdom present here onearth. It is a mark of God’s reign among us. They are where we find His“embassy.”

9. As disciples went out casting nets forthe Gospel, as you have been hauled up in the nets of God’s grace and love, youhave heard that gospel proclamation, that good news message. Jesus said it toyou as well! “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repentand believe in the gospel.” The time.Now is the time. Now is your day of salvation. You are in God’s net because Godhas sought you out and proclaimed His kingdom, His reign to you. His kingdomcalls for a response. Repent and believe in the Gospel. Return to the Lord fromyour sins. Believe in what Jesus has done for you. God has already done everythingfor you. This net which has captured you is not for your destruction as a fishout of water, but it is for your eternal salvation, caught for life everlastingin Jesus Christ. Believe the good news!

SermonTalking Points

Readpast sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listento audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. The word“gospel” means “good news.” What makes God’s gospel message so great for us?Romans 1:1-6; 16

2. What “time” hadarrived when Jesus came? What time is now here for you? Mark 1:15; 2Corinthians 6:2. What was happening, and what urgency did it imply for thosewho heard the message?

3. When Jesus foundHis first disciples, what were they doing? What was their status in society?Why do you think Jesus chose them? How did Paul show in his own life (or thatof the apostles) that the power of the Gospel had to come from God, and notfrom men? 2 Cor. 3:4-6; 4:1-7.

4. What did it meanfor the disciples to become “fishers of men?” What is the “net” that is cast?That net gathers people into what? Matthew 13:47-50. How can we be fishers ofmen? Where do we see the visible signs of God’s kingdom or reign?

5. Where can youpersonally cast God’s net? How do we experience a “death” when we are caught inGod’s net? How does it prepare us for real life in Him? Colossians 2:12-14;3:3-4.

6. Describe what itmeans for you to be “caught up” in the net of God’s grace. How might you sharethis with someone else?

Sermon on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, for the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, "A Pure Temple"

2012-01-16T13:36:00.000-06:00

Sermon Outline

1. Paul addresses sexual immorality, whichcouldn’t be of greater significance for us today. Marriage being redefined, livingtogether outside of marriage is all but accepted, teens experimenting,marriages in stormy waters, internet has opened a huge private arena for sinand temptation, removing many obstacles once curbing behavior. Which has beenthe greater influence on how people think of sexuality? Modern culture and theworld influencing the church? Or the other way around—the church influencingthe way society thinks?

2. Like today, the church in Corinth hadlost a clear testimony to God’s design for human sexuality. Slogans—traction onthe street? In the church? Borrowed from Paul’s teaching on other subjects?“All things are lawful for me” (or “All things are in my power”) (“I do what Ilike”); but not everything ishelpful, and what’s more—sin enslaves.Freedom>slavery

3. “Food is meant for the stomach and thestomach for food.” Sexuality not just satisfying our “appetite” as is the casewith food, even though culture screams the opposite. Sex-drenched magazinesline the checkout aisle of nearly every store, movies and music sing the sweetpraises of sexual unfaithfulness and loose inhibitions. Politicians andcelebrities count up their affairs as nuisances that we should ignore.

4. What slogans today? “You wouldn’t buy acar without test driving it” (except cars don’t suffer heartbreak and feelingsof rejection, and you’re not united with a car). “What doesn’t kill you makesyou stronger” (except Jesus and Paul say sin enslaves or masters you). “Myfaith is a matter of my heart and spirit”—idea that whatever is done in the bodyhas nothing to do with the spirit. Dividing spirit from body. But you are your soul and body. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spiritwithin you, whom you have from God. “Do you not know that you are God’s templeand that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God willdestroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Cor. 3:17-18).

5. All culturaltendencies to treat sex anywhere but in marriage as normal and inevitable mustbe resisted by the church. Higher calling and a higher view of God’s gift. Goddesigned one of the best gifts for humankind, and who knows better than Him howit should be used for the greatest good, love, satisfaction? The Bible andtherefore the church is counter-cultural in this way, and has a strong stand tomake and an important message to carry. Marriage between a man and a woman isthe one God-given place for the healthy expression and satisfaction of sexualdesire, and outside of marriage those who are single should practice chastity/celibacay.Wait till marriage. The powerful bonding force of that act that makes the twoone flesh, belongs where it can create stability, foster love, and perpetuateunion between a man and a woman. There it supports and builds up family. Thisview is vigorously opposed by the world; but is ignored to our own harm.

6. But where do we go from here? Is this anissue only for the young and marriageable? Or is it a matter for the wholechurch?

7. First to acknowledge the hurt andbrokenness that has occurred because of ignoring God’s good design. Admitwhatever part we may have played in it. Repent of our own sin, and hear God’scall to higher things. Next, call the church and those outside it to findsalvation in Jesus. Jesus came to buy us sinners out of slavery. “You are notyour own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

8. No greater and more amazing truth thanthis, to shape a positive Christian attitude about sexuality. Bought with aprice. What price? The very life of the only Son of God, Jesus Christ! God’smost treasured Son, His most highly beloved. The one with whom He is wellpleased. His life, His precious blood of an infinite worth, His purity andinnocence before God, His sinless love and self-sacrifice—the greatest modelfor a husband’s love, and His death to pay the price for all our sins. How muchare you worth? What is your value?God has placed this infinite value on you, that He gave His only Son to buy youback from your sins. God saw us, bound and sold in every one of our sins,sexual or otherwise, and He gave His Son as the redemption price to buy usback.

9. See how precious your freedom andforgiveness is? See how God purifies you, cleansing you of all the guilt andshame of every sin? No accident that when God describes the love of Christ forHis church, He uses a picture of marriage—the church is presented to Him as abride, spotless, clean, without blemish or fault. How did she get that way? Itwas not by her own goodness, but because He made her holy and cleansed her bythe washing of water with the Word. It was not because God’s love was blind. Heknew who we were and saw our sins, and stains and blemishes. But He took ourshame on Himself and gave all His purity, innocence, and love in return.Everything that is His becomes ours in this marriage.

10. Sowhat does this mean for us now? By virtue of His cleansing in baptism, yourbody now is the temple of the Holy Spirit! A doubly great blessing! No longerdoes God choose the Temple of Jerusalem, with fixed, immovable stones andwoodwork and metalwork to dwell in. No matter how glorious and beautiful andstunning that Temple was, God left that building to send His Spirit to dwell inour bodies as His most holy temple. God dwells in you! And just as it would bea sacrilege to vandalize the building of a temple or church, so also it isunholy to disregard the God-given value of our bodies as temples of the HolySpirit. We should take care not to grieve or sadden the divine guest that livesin us—the Holy Spirit. Instead we are called to holiness and honor. And throughthe forgiving, washing, daily work of the Holy Spirit in us, He keeps ourTemple pure, turning away from all sin.

11. Sowhether old or young, single or married, divorced or widowed, this is an issuefor you. There is no place from which you cannot start anew from God’sforgiveness and seek to live a new life by His grace. God calls us to leavebehind “old familiar ways” of sin to seek first His kingdom and Hisrighteousness. Both elderly and parents have a vital role for the nextgeneration. Lead by example. Teach from your mistakes. Mentor a grandchild oryouth. Parents, show yourselves concerned and approachable, so kids can talkopenly and honestly with you—even if to admit sins or weaknesses, and seekforgiveness. All of us—Christ was able to love even the worst of sinners, andat the same time call them away from their sin to new life in Him. Taxcollectors and prostitutes came to Jesus, not because they expected to findapproval for their sin, but rather forgiveness! That their burdens of sin andguilt could be laid down for Him to carry to the cross. Let’s do the same as welay down our burdens for forgiveness, and seek also to forgive others in thesame way. Give witness to the great value God has placed on us. You who areburdened under past sins, confess them to God, or speak to your pastor to findassurance of forgiveness. Speak to your trusted family member or friend to seekout accountability. When sexual temptation comes, follow the example of Josephin the Old Testament, who fled, or ran from temptation. When he was alone andfaced with temptation he said “How can I do this great wickedness and sinagainst God?” Don’t encourage temptation by isolation or exploration.

12. Wecan be salt and light, we can give witness to God’s design of sexuality to theworld. But it all starts with knowing whose we are—that Christ Jesus made usGod’s children by the great price of His life. It continues with the knowledgethat His Spirit has made our bodies His holy dwelling place, and living outthat identity as forgiven, cleansed, temples of God’s living Spirit. So glorifyGod in your body, in Jesus’ name and by Jesus’ love. Amen.

SermonTalking Points

Readpast sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listento audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. In 1 Corinthians6:12-13, Paul seems to be addressing some common “slogans” or sayings that werecirculating in the Corinthian church, or perhaps on the streets of Corinth.What are the “slogans” that is responding to, and how does he redirect orreshape them to make his point that sexual immorality is not permissible forthe Christian?

2. How does Paulargue that sins committed in the body are truly significant and spirituallyharmful? Instead of sex being a “casual encounter,” what in fact takes place? 1Cor. 6:16-20. The “one flesh union” that sex creates is actually a good gift ofGod’s creation when used within the design that He gave for it: marriagebetween one man and one woman. Gen. 2:24; Mark 10:6-9.

3. How does theproper use of our bodies then directly impact the holiness and purity of theHoly Spirit’s Temple (our body)? How ought a single Christian to live? Amarried Christian? (See 1 Cor. 7 for Paul’s further instructions on sexuality).1 Thess. 4:3-8.

4. What distinctlyhigh honor and value does the Holy Spirit’s dwelling in us grant to our bodies?How has the influence of the world and sexual attitudes of our culture erodedor disregarded that value? How can we rebuild it among ourselves and with theyouth of our generation? What have the consequences been of increasing sexualimmorality?

5. For those whohave repented of sexual sin, and discovered God’s better plan for themselvesand their bodies, what cleansing/purification has Christ accomplished for ourbodies as God’s Temple? 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Col. 2:11-14; 3:1-11; John 8:10-11. Whatnew purpose for living does He grant us? 1 Cor. 6:20; Heb. 13:4; 1 Thess. 4:3-8

"Stability of your times," a New Year's newsletter

2012-01-02T14:12:00.001-06:00

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year! As we begin the newyear, I pray that your lives would be renewed in another “year of the Lord’sfavor” (Luke 4:19). While there’s no need to bemoan or elaborate the fact thatthe last few years have been tough for many, it remains true that many are outof work or struggling financially because of our bad economy. Nevertheless, wecan all count many blessings that we’ve experienced. Even apart from anymaterial blessing, we have the greatest spiritual treasure of all, if we havefaith in Christ Jesus. Then we know that God is for us. And if God is for us,who can stand against us?

In several sermons throughout Advent and Christmas, we’veheard from the ancient prophet Isaiah, who spoke words of comfort to the Jewsduring trying times. They experienced hardship on a far greater scale than wepresently know. They experienced the loss of their harvest (and attendant famine),the threat and attack of their enemies from Assyria and then Babylon, andfinally the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and thedeportation to Babylon. The people waited for the Lord and called for Him to begracious in their time of trouble (Isaiah 33:2). Likewise we may cry out forGod’s grace and help. We may wait for the fulfillment of His promises, not yetseeing them.

While reading through Isaiah 33, one phrase really struck meas we begin this new year. The Lord isexalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice andrighteousness, and he will be thestability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; thefear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure (Isaiah 33:5-6). Isaiah was writing invery unstabletimes. But he promised that the Lord will be the stability of yourtimes. When uncertainty, when change, upheaval, tragedy, or difficultystrike us, it is the Lord who is our stability. He is unchanging, eternal, ourRock, our fortress and refuge. No other earthly refuge can provide us with thatcomfort and stability. Nowhere else but the Lord, will we find abundantsalvation.

My prayer is that during the next year, whatever good orwhatever evil may befall you—whether you enjoy blessing or walk in hardship, thatthe Lord would be the stability of your times. That day and night, week, monthand year, that He would be your constant. That you would look to Him always,and lay all your cares and anxieties on Him for He cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7).Don’t let worries weigh you down, but remember that today has enough trouble ofits own (Matthew 6:34). Truly for God’s people, to trust in Him is our greattreasure and our deliverance. Happy New Year!

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!

2012-01-02T14:11:00.000-06:00

A Christmas Newsletter:

If your radio hasn’t already started picking up Christmasmelodies, it still probably won’t be long till you’re humming “It’s the most wonderful time, of the Year!”and other familiar Christmas music—both the commercial variety, and evenbetter, the treasured Christian Christmas carols! Because as Christians we havea far deeper and older reason to celebrate Christmas than all the trappings ofholiday decorations and foods and tinsel and music. For us, Christmas iswonderful because of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world as our Savior,in His birth in the little town of Bethlehem. It’s my hope and prayer that youwill celebrate Christmas in worship, and that you may be renewed in continued worship to our Lord and Savior JesusChrist throughout the year.

One of the treasured Christmas carols that we sing everyyear is Charles Wesley’s great hymn, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” The titlerecalls when the angels came down from the heavens and visited the unsuspectingshepherds to announce the good news of Jesus the Savior’s birth. “Hark!” is acall to attention. To listen carefully to a message about to be told. “Herald”is a title for royal messengers, who carry important news from a King. So“Hark, the Herald Angel’s Sing” is about God’s royal messengers, the angels, comingto announce the good news: “Glory to the newborn king!” Christmas is a royalholiday—the celebration of the birthday of a king. The first verse goes on tocall all the nations to rise in joyful celebration and praise at the miraclethat God had achieved in sending His own divine Son into the world to reconcileGod and sinners. Christmas is all about God’s movement toward us, so that Hemight reconcile us to Himself in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:19).

Verse two calls Him “Christby highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord.” Christ is a titlethat means “anointed one.” Messiah means the same thing, only in Hebrew. Kingswere “anointed” in the Old Testament times as a way to show that they had beenplaced in a position of high responsibility and authority. Anointing typicallywas done by a prophet, who poured oil on the head of the anointed, laid handson him, and placed him into his office. The Christ, or Anointed One, was theSavior whom the Jews looked for from of old. “Late in time, behold Him come, offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled inflesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as Man with man todwell, Jesus, our Immanuel!” Jesus came as the long-awaited Savior, born ofa virgin, as promised according to the sign in Isaiah 7:14. “Veiled” or hiddenin human flesh, was God Himself. This Divinely born man, Jesus Christ, wasGod-in-flesh—the meaning of “incarnate.” Incarnate literally means “enfleshed.”Godhead and Deity are both words we use to describe God’s very nature as God.What makes Him God—the eternal, all powerful, all wise Creator. This infiniteand eternal God made the most remarkable decision to live and dwell among us asone of us, so that He could meet His people face to face. To teach them His owntruth, and show them the path to everlasting life.

The third verse of the carol speaks of Jesus’ resurrectionfrom the dead: “Light and life to all Hebrings, Ris’n with healing in His wings.” Conquering death was part of theglorious mission to which Jesus, the Christ-child was born to live on earth.Yet His glorious mission was carried out in the humblest of ways, as the hymnsings, “mild He lays His glory by, bornthat man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give themsecond birth.” Jesus laid aside His heavenly glory when He came down to beborn. He did not parade around in power and majesty, in royal robes, but beganHis life humbly in a manger, attended by lowly shepherds, and the worshipfulgifts of foreigners. He humbly laid His life down in suffering and death on thecross to secure the forgiveness of our sins. His resurrection to life againforeshadows the future state when He will fully be revealed in all His heavenlyglory. His birth meant the hope that God would overcome death, as God joinedHimself to humanity. His birth dignifies and raises our human estate, as God sohighly honored His creation by becoming human. He raises us to life, and givesus the new birth, by water and the Spirit. There is great reason to be thankfuland to give praise this and every Christmas, and to acknowledge with the songof the angels, “Glory to the newborn King!!”

Sermon on Numbers 6:22-27 & Luke 2:21, for the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus, "What's in a name?"

2012-01-02T13:57:00.000-06:00

Sermon Outline:

1. What’s in a name? Know the meaning ofyours? Significance to your life? Seen as shaping the future of a child in somecultures. Adam = mankind, Eve = living, Abram = father to Abraham = father ofmany nations, Jacob = grasper, deceiver to Israel = strives with God; Ichabod =“glory has departed”; most important of all names is the name of God Himself.Revealed at Sinai to Moses—YHWH (Yahweh). Most often translated as LORD.Jehovah is a corrupted spelling of Yahweh. Note significance of this Name givenin the blessing in Numbers 6—the “Aaronic benediction.” God’s Name would be placedon Israel, and so He would bless them. There is much in a name—especially inGod’s Name.

2. Notice in the benediction—Trinity. God’smovement toward us: “bless you; make His face shine upon you; lift up Hiscountenance upon you” and the result of His activity: “keep you; be gracious toyou; give you peace.” God’s Name on His people brings them His blessing.

3. Carries us to Jesus’ name. Prophecy of Emmanuel= “God with us”; Jesus (Yeshua) =“YHWH is salvation” (He will save His people from their sins).

4. Nothing accidental or insignificantabout the choosing of Jesus’ name. Every name and title given to God in theBible speaks deeply of His character, His attributes, or His action toward us. Yeshua speaks of the LORD, YHWH,bringing salvation. Just what Jesus would do in saving us from our sins.

5. What about the timing of Jesus beingnamed? At His circumcision, the 8^th day. Old covenant of God withAbraham and descendants. Every male child circumcised on the 8^th day;brought into God’s covenant—a people set apart from the Gentiles. Sign ofoffense—seems shameful, gross, or even just foolish to our human reason. “ButGod chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what isweak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised inthe world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, sothat no human being might boast in the presence of God.” (1 Cor. 1:27-29)

6. This foreshadows the cross. What seemsfoolish to our human reason, in God’s mysterious way, is powerful to accomplishHis purpose. Christ crucified is the power and wisdom of God, for oursalvation. Reason cannot even comprehend it. Only by faith can we grasp themystery. “Even if I think that this is foolish and scandalous, nevertheless Iwill give glory and praise to God that He is wiser than I am and knows what Heshould do. He does not need my advice or counsel at all about what Hedoes….then you put aside your little opinions and come to another way of thinkingand judging so that you say ‘That seems good and right to me because God ispleased with it, even if I may never understand it.’”(Luther)

7. Jesus’ naming happens at the same timethat He sheds His first drops of blood for us, which is fitting, because it wasthrough the shedding of His blood on the cross that He would take our sinsaway. Obeying the law for us already on the 8^th day. Even thoughJesus had no sin in Himself, He underwent each requirement of the law for oursakes. Born under the law to redeem those under the law.

8. What did that ancient law ofcircumcision mean for the Jews? That they were set apart from the nations. Thatthrough their offspring, Jesus, the Savior of the world would be born. Also,the cutting off of the foreskin represented the putting away of sin and evil.See how Scripture gives this spiritual dimension to circumcision: Moses toldthe Israelites to “circumcise their heart” and be stubborn no longer. Tocircumcise their hearts was to put away evil and seek to love the Lord theirGod with all their heart, soul, and mind. Jeremiah the prophet and later the NTdeacon Stephen described the people as having “uncircumcised hearts and ears.”Their ears were uncircumcised because they were unwilling to listen to God’sWord, and scorned it. Circumcision was both an outward reminder of the puttingaway of sin, and also an inward “cutting away” of sin and stubbornness fromhearts and ears.

9. The physical circumcision “made withhands” on the body is no longer—but the spiritual circumcision of hearts andears has been incorporated into the NT sacrament of Holy Baptism. Jesus’circumcision prepares for us the spiritual circumcision of baptism. A“circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by thecircumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which youwere also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, whoraised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and theuncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgivenus all our trespasses” (Col. 2).

10. This“circumcision” in our baptism, the putting away of our sinful flesh, leads usto live the new life given to us in Christ in baptism—life lead to faithworking in love, to keeping God’s commandments.

11. SoJesus took on circumcision, as the fulfillment of that marker and promise toAbraham. Took it on to fulfill the law for us. Shows His true humanity. Yet atthe same time, the giving of His name “Jesus” shows us that He is truly God.That He is the One who saves His people from their sins. Just as He took thison Himself for us, so also He took on death for us, even though we didn’tdeserve it. His name means blessing for us, just as in the benediction given toAaron the high priest, because where God’s name is placed, there is Hisblessing and gracious activity. Where YHWH blesses, we are kept and preservedas His people. Where YHWH makes His face shine upon us, we are shown His graceand undeserved love. Where YHWH lifts up His face upon us, He gives us Hispeace. God places His name on His people when He cleanses them from their sin.

12. Sowhat’s in a Name? For us, Jesus’ name means forgiveness. In OT circumcision aname was given, because the sinful flesh had been put away. In NT baptismJesus’ name, God’s name is put on you, because your sinful flesh has been putaway. And you are also given a new name: “Christian.” With that new name comesyour new identity as a follower of Christ. A new creation. Spiritually you havebeen circumcised, so that your heart may be ready to believe and trust God, andyour ears be ready to hear His Word, and that your hands and feet would beready to obey and do His will by Loving God and your neighbor. Jesus’ namemeans salvation for us, and may we guard and keep His name honorable in ourlives, and spread it’s fame to all nations! Jesus’ name is life for us, and forall these reasons His Name is above all other names to be blessed. Amen.

SermonTalking Points

Readpast sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listento audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

Look up some examples of Biblical names that bore great significance for their bearers. Genesis 2:7, 20; 3:20; 4:1, 25; 5:29; 17:7-8, 15; etc. 1 Samuel 4:21; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23. What do the name and title “Jesus” and “Emmanuel” mean?

Numbers 6 is sometimes called the “Aaronic benediction” because it was the “word of blessing” that God gave Aaron, the (first) High Priest of Israel to speak over the children of Israel. The threefold blessing set the pattern for Jesus’ “baptismal formula” that uses the name of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). In the benediction from Numbers 6 that we use at the conclusion of each service, how does God’s movement toward His people in the first part of each phrase cause the blessings described in the second part of each phrase?

What was the connection between Jesus’ name and when it was given? What was circumcision? Genesis 17:6-14. Why was the shedding of blood particularly significant in connection with the meaning Jesus’ name? cf. Matt. 1:21-23. What spiritual meaning was also given by God to circumcision? Deut. 10:15-16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; 6:10; Acts 7:51

What is the new “circumcision made without hands” for Christians? What impact does it have for the way we are to live? Colossians 2:11-15; Gal. 5:6; 6:15; 1 Cor. 7:17-20.

How does circumcision cause a stumbling block to our human reason? Why does God work in such ways—contrary to human reason? 1 Cor. 1:27-29. What does this foreshadow? How was Jesus’ first shedding of blood connected to His final shedding of blood for us?

Sermon on Isaiah 40:10-11, for Christmas Eve, "Like a Shepherd"

2011-12-28T14:28:00.000-06:00

Sermon Outline:

1. This night shepherds came to greet Onewho would be a shepherd like them. As their dark night flashed into brillianceand joyful sound with the arrival of the angels and their announcement, theseshepherds jumped up to run and see a miracle. God’s Son, born into the world,bringing peace and goodwill to men. They would come and find a shepherd parexcellence. One who would excel in their profession. Jesus probably nevertended the four-legged variety of sheep, but this child was born to shepherdHis people Israel, and also others not of that flock (the Gentiles He wouldlater call).

2. Shepherd needs to be strong and brave toward off danger and protect the sheep. Strength of His arm against foes, butsafety for the lambs gathered in His arms. Like young David fighting off wildbears and lions to protect his flock. Not a weak or timid God. Jesus showed Hisstrength and bravery in a remarkable way, by laying down His life for thesheep. Unafraid to die, knowing it was the only way to secure a future for Hissheep and Himself. “YHWH combines toughness and gentleness. There is a specialauthenticity about the gentleness of a tough person, and about the toughness ofa gentle person” (Goldingay). Can you picture such a person you knew like that?Perhaps a father figure, or grandfather? Who was tough, but gentle? A mother orgrandmother? Who was gentle but tough? The authenticity of that person’sactions, balancing both toughness and tenderness speaks volumes of their love.So also God is tough on sin, but gentle to His lambs. Makes war on the thornsand briars that trap us, but gently holds the sheep in His arms.

3. Shepherd’s need to be watchful andresponsible. Always tending to their sheep, because they often go astray. Can’tneglect or ignore the sheep, they will fall into danger. Jesus watches over Hissheep. Brings us back on His shoulders, rejoicing, when we go astray.

4. Shepherd needs to be gentle. Sheep willhear His voice and love Him if He is tender. Jesus shows incredible love to Hislambs, “He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are withyoung.” Infants and mothers with children are the most vulnerable. Knows our situation,is gentle with us. In His bosom we are sheltered and secured. Jesus draws us,His little lambs, close to His heart.

5. He gathers those who have been scattered(i.e. exile). Jesus gathers the flock into one fold. Jews and Gentiles, all arestill called to come into His pasture, to know Him as shepherd, trust Him, hearHis voice.

6. Wolves exploit the vulnerable, multiplytheir sufferings. The church and Christ its shepherd protect and love thevulnerable.

7. Shepherd needs to know where it is safeto drink and good pasture. Jesus leads us to the still waters of baptism forthe forgiveness of our sins, the refreshing of our soul, the quenching of ourthirst for life—eternal life. He leads us in green pastures, feeding us withHis Word, guarding us in the safety of the church from the pains of anunforgiven conscience, from the guilt of unresolved sin, from the hatred of theworld, from the unhealthy diet of lies and empty promises that cannot feed us,from the idols we build that have no strength, no power to save.

8. Almost impossible to comprehend, if youwere Mary and Joseph, or one of the shepherds, to look at those tiny baby armsof Jesus, and to imagine that they would one day be pierced for our sins. Toimagine that those arms would grow to be the strong and everlasting arms of ourGod—strong to bind up the broken, the gather in the sheep and carry them insafety, through all the whirlwind storms and troubles of life.

9. Yet these were God’s arms. On that nightthey would look so tiny, so innocent, soft and frail. Unimaginable that thoseshoulders would bear the weight of the world’s sin. But they would. And thosearms would grow in adulthood to great strength. To toughness and tenderness. Togentleness and love. In His arms we will be safe and He’ll preserve us toeverlasting life. Arms stretched out in love for the world, sheltering all Hisown who hear His voice and follow, and calling the rest to take refuge in Him.Tonight in the manger you find a shepherd. The Good Shepherd. Your Shepherd.Trust in His arms and be gathered near to His heart in love.

Sermon on Luke 1:26-38, for the 4th Sunday in Advent, "Finding Favor"

2011-12-19T13:17:00.000-06:00

Sermon Outline:

1. This last week before Christmas, ourtelling of the Christmas story begins with the visit of Gabriel to Mary. “Ofavored one, the Lord is with you!” “You have found favor with God.” Mary istroubled. Taking notice of me? Whatdid it mean for Mary to find favor with God?

2. For us, in everyday life, “findingfavor” can sometimes mean “working hard to impress someone.” A new workertrying to prove his worth to his boss—advancement. College student trying to impressand pass with a tough professor. Politicians rising in the ranks among theirfellows.

3. But this isn’t what “finding favor” inGod’s eyes meant for Mary. Indeed she was chosen by God for her purity andvirginity, as a fitting vessel for God’s service, and for the fulfillment ofthe ancient prophecy that the Savior would be born from a virgin. But she’s notcredited by the angel for greatness of life. No mention of her deservingit—only that God had shown favor to her. What did this “finding favor” with Godmean for her? It meant that she was the chosen vessel or instrument for God’splan of salvation to unfold, through the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. Shewas greatly blessed to believe in the promise of the Word and be honored inthis service of the Lord. Unique and unrepeatable in human history. In fact shepraised God afterwards by saying “He has looked on the humble estate of Hisservant”. She speaks of God’s mercy to the poor and humble, and how He exaltsor raises their estate.

4. Mary found favor through Jesus, her Son.“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord Godwill give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over thehouse of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” He was theblessing, God’s favor being extended to the world of sinful humanity. The wayMary found favor—through the birth of Jesus, is also how we find favor withGod. God coming into the world to reconcile us with Himself.

5. While of course no one else will ever bea vessel for God’s service in the precise way that Mary was, each of us can bevessels of God’s service in various smaller ways. Mary’s unique calling as motherof Jesus. We all have callings or vocations where God has placed us for His service.Mothers and fathers, children, employees and employers in all sorts of diverseprofessions, citizens and rulers, pastors, teachers, and church leaders,listeners to God’s Word, students, friends and neighbors. God has importantwork in each station. Live under His reign in each area of life.

6. Not just one small segment of our life whereGod reigns: i.e. some small area of my “church life”, let’s call it, where Godis in charge. But the rest of my life is my own. I’m in charge there, and Ifollow my own rules or the ways of the world there. But God doesn’t seek outone small little corner of our life to occupy, but our whole life together isunder His rule and reign. There is no aspect of our business or work life, ourfamily life, our social life, or wherever, that God is absent or unimportant.We are always to be mindful of who we are—as Mary remembered: “I am the servantof the Lord.”

7. God’s calling on her life transformed itall. So also God’s calling on our life is pervasive and whole. We can’t bedivided between two masters--be they God and money or God and anything else.

8. What does it mean to live and carry outour duties in the kingdom of God, under Christ’s reign? To confess faithfullythat Jesus is the Son of God, our Forever-King, and to perform our service andduties faithfully as giving an account to Him. “To live under Him in Hiskingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness,just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.” As our“forever-king” He will live and reign to all eternity. Our king will neverchange. A news pundit recently joked that “in other countries they werecomplaining that they couldn’t and didn’t elect their leaders, but in Americathey were complaining because they could and did.” (Uncle Jay) By contrast, wedon’t “elect Jesus” as our King. Mary didn’t choose Him; we didn’t choose Himor make Him our King and Lord, but rather He is King and Lord of all by Hisdivine right and because of His humble obedience to God the Father, insuffering on the cross, dying, and rising again to win for God His kingdom ofbelievers, who worship His holy name. Unlike politicians that we might elect,there is nothing to be disappointed in by His reign--there is no corruption, noself-serving, no injustice or scandal. There is only the endless increase ofHis rule and peace, and the establishment of His throne on justice andrighteousness. (Isaiah 9:7).

9. In Jesus Christ, God entered the worldto establish His reign of justice, mercy, and peace, and to rule in our heartsforever. Mary acknowledged God’s reign in her life when she spoke the faithfulwords, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to yourword.” She was submitting to God’s gracious reign in her life, and to have herlife led by His direction. How often do we speak those words? “Let it be doneto me...according to your word.” Will we let Christ reign in our life? Let Himdrive out sin from our hearts? Thy will be done, not my will be done? To trustin His promises and commit our future to His leading.

10. Whenwe acknowledge Jesus’ reign in our lives, and say “Let it be done tome…according to your Word,” we might face crosses and difficulties, challengesof faith. But we can face them all with confidence, knowing that we are underthe reign of our good and gracious king, whose throne is established onrighteousness and justice, and before Him goes out steadfast love andfaithfulness. Before such a king, we can be confident and trusting. We fear no“change of power” or injustice or defeat. For we know that He is ourForever-King, and of His kingdom there will be no end. All Glory to the King ofKings! All Glory to the King who comes to be born in a manger! Amen. Now thepeace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds inChrist Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

SermonTalking Points

Readpast sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listento audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

What was the angel Gabriel’s comforting response to Mary, when she was startled and troubled by his unexpected greeting? Luke 1:30. How does this compare to other angels bearing good news to humans about Christ? Luke 1:13; 2:10; Matt. 28:5

What did it mean that she had “found favor” with God? How was God’s favor shown to her? Cf. Acts 7:45-46; Heb. 4:16; Gen. 6:8. Favor is found in God’s eyes/sight. The favor of God is extended to us as well through the birth and the life of Jesus, our Savior. It is through Jesus that we are found innocent in God’s eyes. Luke 2:14

Mary’s virgin conception by the power of the Holy Spirit was in fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, a prophecy made 7 centuries earlier, to the Jews. How would the fulfilling of this prophecy mean that “God is with us” (Emmanuel)? How was it also a fulfillment of the prophecy to David, made about 1,000 B.C. (before Christ) that God would make his house and kingdom sure forever before God? 2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16

What would be the characteristics of Jesus’ rule as the King on the throne of David? Isaiah 9:6-7; Psalm 9:7-8; 89:14. What peace and hope does this give us, in contrast to the rule of earthly kings and authorities? What disappointment are we spared from because of the fact that Jesus is our “Forever-King?”

How did Mary submit to Jesus’ reign in her life? How do we likewise submit to God, and find His reign and favor extended over all of our life?

Sermon on Isaiah 40:6-9, for Advent 3, "Lift Up Your Heads Ye Mighty Gates"

2011-12-15T12:56:00.000-06:00

Sermon Outline

1. Frailty and shortness of our own fleshand life contrasted with the Word of our God will stand forever. This is notany word of God that stands forever, but the word of the covenant God, Yahweh,who graciously reenters into a relationship with Israel to bestow his gift ofdouble comfort. The psalmist says, “This is my comfort in my affliction, yourword brings me life” (Ps 119:50).

2. The entire book of Isaiah is dominatedby a profound theology of Yahweh’s word. Creative Word. Word going from Jerusalemto call all nations to learn Yahweh’s ways of peace (2:1–5). Spiritual life isdepends on hearing and responding to this word (37:33–35).

3. As all flesh, all human achievement,effort and striving could be seen to wither and fade away around them, theIsraelites left in exile in Babylon were despairing, longing for home. Theywept as they remembered the “good old days” when they worshipped in thesplendor of Solomon’s temple, worked and shopped in the City of David, and sawthe beauty of the Mount of Olives. Oh to be home again! Instead they weresurrounded by false gods/idol worship. Wept as they remembered that they had noking, no temple, no royal city, no land, no liturgy, no sacrifice, no hope, nofuture and no song. How can they sing God’s songs while in a foreign land?

4. Some of us are far away from home; allof us are far away from the Father. It’s the way we operate. We are, again,right here, just now, exiled in a Babylon of our own making. Like theIsraelites who were exiled for their idolatry, we too have engaged in making‘gods’ of our own design. We chose what it looks like. We personalize it withour preferences. It’s just what we want in a god. It’s a god who likes what Ilike, hates what I hate, and who shares my opinion. It is a god who increasesmy standard of living and happiness. This is a god who gives me what I want andstays out of my way the rest of the time. John Calvin states that the humanheart is a perpetual idol factory. First commandment, Luther states in hisLarge Catechism, “That to which your heart clings and entrusts itself is, Isay, really your God.”

5. What are some of the idols you and I arebuilding? We’ve sold our baptismal inheritance and faith in the True God, and endedup with double lives, empty relationships, and inflated egos. We’vemanufactured gods of our own design, and as a result, we’ve learned the hardway what the Psalmist says: “The sorrows of those who run after other godsshall multiply.” (16:4). And so we have no song to sing. In our exile Godspeaks.

6. So what is the answer? In the context ofsuch massive idolatry we have a word from God. Isaiah says, “Behold your God!” wewho love God must make a dwelling place for the eternal Word of God (40:8), in ourminds and hearts, for he dwells in our hearts by faith. (Cyril of Alexandria).

7. The eternal Word of God came in humanflesh. In the fullness of time he came, and in one instant, he made himselfbreakable. He who was larger than the universe became a Babe. Our God came, notas a flash of light, or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one whose firstcries were heard in a cattle stall along with cows and sheep. His feet willfeel the cold sea water and writhe at the invasion of the nail. His heart will betorn by people’s accusations and be crushed under the weight of our sin. Hiseyes will see our shame, for we cannot hide. They will see our selfishness, forwe cannot give. And they will see our pain, for we are so full of hurt. Hishands will touch lepers, hold little children, break bread, feel the ground atGethsemane, and be stretched out on a Roman instrument of death.

8. Because he bled and died in our place,Jesus demonstrates that he alone is able to heal our hurts, forgive our sins,and defeat our death. No wonder the Bible says that idols are nothing and chaosand only compound our pain because a cross-less “god” is no god at all. Noother god has the marks of nails in his hands. A “god” who doesn’t suffer, agod who knows no agony, a god who doesn’t die; this is a god without grace, agod who cannot deliver, and a god who offers no hope and no future. But this isnot our Jesus! He is crucified, but risen indeed! So it is time to turn in our tools,stop building substitutes, throw away the idols, and to fall down and worshipin glorious awe, the True God who is powerful to save, and who has ransomed usfrom our exile, and brought us home. “Behold your God!” Behold your God Jesus Christ,and receive in your heart His eternal word that is powerful to save. Here atlast is reason for our songs of praise to return, and for us to lift up ourheads with joy and thanksgiving at the sight of our coming King!

Sermon on Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, for the 3rd Sunday in Advent, "God's Anointed"

2011-12-12T13:29:00.002-06:00

Sermon Outline:

1. Prophecy from Isaiah: about what happens/will happen when the Anointed One, the Messiah enters on the scene of history/our lives. The Anointed One/Messiah/Christ—God’s chosen Savior for us. Jesus. Interesting, Trinity in OT. LORD God-Father; the Anointed One—Jesus; Spirit of the Lord. A scene of hopelessness, despair, of brokenhearted-ness and bondage is transformed into a scene of hope, life, gladness, praise and confidence.

2. The Jews who were the original recipients of this message, as said in previous sermons, where on such a scene of wreckage/hopelessness. Is your life the scene of hopelessness or despair? Surrounded by the wreckage of sin and a broken world? We have suffered under the heavy hand of the Law, which convicts our consciences of sin. Trampled down under life’s heavy burdens or griefs. Imprisoned in cages of sin of our own making. Only one can free us. One alone is strong enough to break our chains, proclaim God’s favor to us instead of condemnation, liberty to captives.

3. Jesus’ is that Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. What a beautiful job description!! “to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified” (Is 61:1-3). When Jesus arrives on the scenes of devastation and hopelessness, darkness is driven away by the light of His coming.

4. Isaiah 61—context of a “Year of Jubilee”—explain. OT Israel, 50^th year, “During that year, all debts were canceled, all land was returned to the original owners, the slaves were freed, and everybody was given a fresh new beginning. This was the Lord’s way of balancing the economy and keeping the rich from exploiting the poor.” Do you sometimes wish there was a Year of Jubilee; balance our economy, stop exploitation? The “year of the Lord’s favor” is a spiritual year of Jubilee that arrived when Jesus came on the scene of human history. Preached this in His first sermon—Nazareth. Announced this time was now here.

5. God was balancing “the economy” when He sent Jesus as the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. Paying off our debts, releasing the captives. “If you trust in Christ as your Savior, you are living in the Spiritual Year of Jubilee, the Year of the Lord’s favor. You have been set free from bondage; your spiritual debt to the Lord has been paid; you are living in “the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Wiersbe)

6. When God’s Anointed, Jesus delivers these promises to us in His Word, mourning is turned into dancing. Sadness into joy. Study Psalm 30. God’s anger is but for a moment, but His favor for a lifetime. Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” Sackcloth, ashes, signs of mourning. Replaced with gladness and a beautiful headdress/garland. Jesus can turn our lament of sorrow into a song of joy, can carry us through mourning till the day of gladness.

7. “Faint of spirit” -- drooping, exhausted, flickering spirit. A sign of extreme grief or despair. But Jesus, God’s Anointed, His Messiah, Christ, gives peace, not as the world gives. Not an external peace that comes and goes with circumstances. But a deep inner peace than cannot be wrested away. Source of deep inner joy of the Christian. The peace of knowing Jesus, and that He is the One who speaks comfort and calm in our sadness, brokenheartedness, and imprisonment.

8. This peace, joy and strength, given to the Christian by Jesus—God on the scene of our lives. This gives the strength and vitality of spirit, that we can be called “oaks of righteousness.” Strong, deeply rooted, fresh and green and happy in the knowledge that the grace of God is ours, because of Jesus, God’s Anointed.

9. Call on the name of the Lord and be saved. Call on the name of Jesus, God’s Anointed, the Messiah, the Christ. The one who is on the scene to turn a life of despair back into a life of gladness and strength, by the forgiveness of our sins, the reconciling of all accounts in our favor, the balancing of God’s economy to set right all injustice. His peace is yours in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Sermon Talking Points

Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. Who directly fulfills this prophecy from Isaiah 61? See Luke 4:16-30; How did Jesus’ ministry carry out these promises? How does He continue to perform this work today?

2. “Anointed” (v. 1) is the translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah” (“Christ” in Greek). “Anointing” typically took place when a prophet, priest, or king took office (see 1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4; Exodus 29:7-9; 1 Chron. 16:22). Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One. He is Prophet, Priest and King par excellence.

3. What was Jesus anointed to do? How are the poor and the downtrodden comforted? Matthew 5:3-4. How are the brokenhearted given hope? 2 Cor. 1:3-7. In what way are all of us prisoners? Who sets us free?

4. How does salvation strengthen and establish Christians to be “oaks of righteousness”? How is the peace that Jesus gives different from the peace that the world gives? John 14:27

5. Read Psalm 30. How does the promised and the blessing of Jesus as our Messiah, God’s Anointed Savior of His people, turn our mourning and sadness into joy? What is the Christian’s hope and confidence in the face of all despair, evil, and even death? 1 Corinthians 15

Sermon on Isaiah 40:3-5, for Advent 2, "Prepare the Royal Highway"

2011-12-08T11:18:00.001-06:00

Sermon Outline:

1. What’s in a highway? Part of our everyday landscape—don’t think about it much. But roads are the quintessential sign of rule and dominion. By roads a kingdom is made. Joined together, united for trade, travel, military, communication. Isaiah 40 speaks of preparing the “The Way of the Lord” (not the people of Israel), make straight in the desert a “highway for our God.” It’s the way of God back to Jerusalem, to visit His people restored from exile. The way of God to our hearts. “Make straight the way for God within, and let us all our hearts prepare for Christ to come and enter there” (On Jordan’s Bank the Baptists’ Cry)

2. Part of God’s plan is to level the “mountains” of human pride, in His way to their heart. Repentance is to clear, straighten, level the highway to our heart.

3. Resistance to repentance. Obstacles we raise: “mountains of pride,” crooked hearts, stubborn hearts and stiff-necks. Sin tries to blockade God out of our heart. This is why a “highway” to the heart cleared by repentance is a sign of God’s rule and reign in our lives. Sometimes we’ve locked ourselves into self-made cages of sin. We are crying: “Let me out!!” and don’t know how to break free from our own chains. “Some of you are in the cage of addictive behavior like high anxiety, unpredictable anger, or biting sarcasm. Some know the dark world of Internet pornography. Others are chained to a grudge that won't leave until there is revenge. Still others are fighting an inner battle with a skeleton in your closet that is rattling louder and louder. Whatever your particular sin, it has left you in a cage of despair, darkness, even death. Your heart cry has become: “Let me out!”

4. And only God can answer that cry. The Holy Spirit lays the groundwork. Does the preparation. Breaking up the stony soil, cultivating hearts for repentance, giving a new heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone. Repentance can be painful. It can be difficult break from past behavior that was so enticing, pleasing, self-satisfying. Or it can be a joyous release from guilt and slavery, from sins that held you captive for so long. Realizing that you really could “give up” the sin that you thought was inseparably intertwined with your life.

5. The Holy Spirit’s groundwork, convicting of sin, prepares the Lord’s highway for our heart. Jesus Christ will come and enter there. “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Jesus’ coming in human flesh among us, was God preparing His salvation in the “sight of all peoples”. Setting captives free, proclaiming good news to the poor and imprisoned.

6. For the Jews who first heard Isaiah’s message, God’s glory had departed from Israel when the Temple was destroyed. To have the hope and promise of God’s glory returning among them—great joy. Promise of restoration, rebuilding, new Temple, glory of the Lord visiting that Temple. “Fear not. ⁶ For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. ⁷ And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. ⁸ The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. ⁹ The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’” (Haggai 2:6-9).

7. Glory of the Lord would visit the Temple in the person of Jesus Christ. Then the glory left to die on the cross alone. But His glory was seen again in His resurrection on Easter, and His departure to heaven. From thence He promises to come again, to appear in glory where truly “all flesh will see it together.” Jesus’ glory will be seen by all, and all who worship Him and wait for His coming, will be caught up together with Him.

8. How do we prepare for this coming? God is on His way toward us. Are we ready to receive Him in our hearts? Prepare by repentance. Lay all your sins before God and ask Him to remove them from your life. Turn to Him, and He will clear that highway to your heart and establish His rule and reign there.

Sermon on 2 Peter 3:8-14, for the Second Sunday in Advent, "Eagerly Waiting"

2011-12-05T12:46:00.001-06:00

Sermon outline:

1. “The hardest part is the waiting.” Young children—5 minutes or 1 hour can both seem an eternity. Waiting for the birth of a child. Waiting while a loved one is undergoing surgery. Waiting with someone who is dying. Time stretches and lags. Or it can fly by if we are enjoying ourselves. Contrast the “eternity” of waiting to the “joy” of arrival. Of a healthy birth, of a return from successful operation, or arriving at the gates of heaven after your death—the joy makes all the waiting worth it. Can even fill the waiting itself with joy.

2. The Lord Jesus clearly promises He will return, but at an unknown time. Unexpectedly like a thief in the night. Waiting. Time seems to drag. When will the promise be fulfilled? Is God slow to keep His promise? God does not perceive time as us. Time does not pass more slowly or quickly for Him. He is just as close to the first man Adam, as to the last person to be born in time. Outside of time. We experience it in sequence. Like looking lengthwise at a tall tree lying on the ground. Can only see one end. Time is an order of events from the bottom of the log, step by step, all the way to the other end. But God can view time as from the side, seeing the whole “log” of time, with all events before Him. All things are together (Luther). Day like a thousand years and vice versa.

3. Learn patience from this—God is not slow, but reason He appears to delay (our perspective, not His), is to give opportunities for all to repent. For us waiting is an eternity. For God it is gracious patience. God’s nature—not to destroy—which He could do to all if He judged immediately—but to make the way for salvation open to all. This remarkable patience and mercy of God is so contrary to the way people often come to think of Him, as a harsh and demanding judge, who is eager to destroy the wicked. In reality, God delays and is patient to all so that they can have opportunity to repent. to be saved, to come to a knowledge of the truth. God does not delight in the death of the wicked, but rather that they would turn from their way and live. Ezekiel 18:23

4. What about the suddenness of His coming, and the completeness of destruction? Seems drastic. Kind of attached to this world. Seems incredible that the whole universe could just dissolve in fire and cease to exist. But even scientists now admit this fact, that the universe and the matter that makes it up, is not eternal, won’t last forever. Difference—the end will come much sooner and more suddenly than they think. Break our attachment to worldly things. “Diamonds are forever.” Not really. All that seems so durable and long-lasting will disintegrate. But why? New heavens and new earth. This groaning old creation is bound under the decay and effects of sin. Replaced with a new, better heavens and earth, according to God’s perfect plan. Free of sin, decay, death, suffering. Get attached to God, His Word, to things eternal. To God’s Word which will survive this great and total destruction of the universe, and preserve His people. Waiting will be rewarded with glorious heaven.

5. How to prepare for a disaster? Food, water, emergency light? Different for this final disaster. But we need light—Jesus is the Light of the World—a light never to be extinguished, unlike the failing lights of this universe, that will one day grow dim and flicker out. “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God.”

6. Live lives of holiness and godliness. Always repenting, turning away from sin, back to God. What is holiness? Set apart for God. Characteristic first and foremost of God. Only by God sharing His holiness with us, do we also become holy. By our baptism into Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are made holy. Joined to His forgiveness, set apart (holy) for His purposes. Breaking our attachment with the world, means also breaking our attachment with its values and ways. Holiness is not simply a matter of the mind—thinking the right thoughts, having faith in God. But also especially a matter of the body. How we use our body. Can glorify God with it, or dishonor it by impurity.

7. Body is holy because it’s a temple of the Holy Spirit. Body is to be used for honoring God. Things we do with our body affect our holiness. Can make us unclean or impure. Call to holiness is to use your body well, in self-control, in purity. 1 Thess. 4:3 says: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable.” In several places holiness is directly connected with avoiding sexual sin. Keeping sexuality in the bounds of our own marriage, as God intended it. Not before it; not outside of it, but with our spouse. Holiness also has to do with frequent prayer, with avoiding unnecessary arguing and quarrelling, being in control of our bodies and tempers. Holiness has to do with modesty of how we dress and adorn our bodies—particularly women. Not to flaunt sexuality, but to show feminine grace and beauty through modesty, and through good works and love—which give a deep inner beauty that is more than skin. Study verses in talking points.

8. This kind of holiness and godliness is contrasted to the troubles faced in the last days, as ungodliness increases: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5). Godliness seeks to avoid the pleasure-seeking, the arrogance and pride, the dissatisfaction, disobedience, and other characteristics of unholy living. These things are all rooted in our sinful nature, and it takes very little for them to be inflamed into full-grown ugly sins that are destructive of ourselves and toward others.

9. So what if your description is found in the above? What if you used your body for impurity and not holiness? What if you succumbed to the base desires of your sinful nature, and those descriptions fit you? Repent, turn back to the Lord. The time of His coming is unknown, so don’t delay. This is what you once were—but God has and is redeeming you—buying you back from those sins, so that you may be set apart (holy) for Him. Jesus Christ presents you spotless and blameless, because He gave His live to forgive and erase those sins, and to bring you to something new and better.

10. All the waiting will be fulfilled. New heavens and new earth is the fulfillment and reward of all that we’ve been waiting for by faith in Jesus Christ. “where righteousness dwells.” Injustice, evil, sin, suffering, decay will be gone. Creation fully restored and made right. Home of everlasting righteousness and peace. God secured it. He makes it ours by faith in Christ. Preserve us Oh Lord—preserve us in patient waiting, preserve us in clinging to heavenly things, not worldly things; preserve us in holiness and godliness of life, to use our minds and bodies for your glory. Preserve us for the day of that great reward, so that we receive your coming without fear, but with joyful, eager expectation—with shouts of thanksgiving and praise as we witness your whole plan unfold to perfection in the new heavens and new earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

11. Sermon Talking Points

Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

Since God is outside time, what does that mean for the charge of scoffers, who mock that God is slow, or delaying, or just doesn’t exist? What is God’s reason for “delaying” (from our perspective) in His return? 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:4; cf. Ps. 90:4

What does the suddenness of Jesus’ return mean for those who would try to predict a date for His return or the end of the world? Matt. 24:36; 1 Thess. 5:2; What will happen to the universe (heavens and earth) on the day of the Lord? 2 Pet. 3:12; Rev. 6:14; Matt. 24:35; Heb. 1:10-12

How are we to be prepared and ready for this day of Jesus’ coming? Matt. 24:44; 25:1-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Holiness means to be “set apart for God.” Holiness is not only a matter of our mind, but also of our body, and how we use it to glorify God. In what way is our body a “holy temple?” 1 Cor. 6:19 What does this mean for how we use our bodies in holiness? 1 Cor. 6:15-20; Eph. 4:17-32; 1 Thess. 4:3-12; 1 Tim. 2:8-10

What will the “new heavens and new earth” be like? Isaiah 65:17-25; Rev. 21-22. What does Peter mean in v. 13 by saying that it is where “righteousness dwells?” How does the hope of heaven lift you up in times of darkness or discouragement? How does it encourage you to strive to follow after Christ in holiness and godliness?

Sermon on Isaiah 40:1-2, for Advent 1, "Comfort, Comfort Ye My People"

2011-12-01T13:15:00.003-06:00

Sermon Notes drawn from the series "Savior of the Nations Come" by Dr. Reed Lessing, of Concordia Seminary St. Louis, MO. Preached for the first Wednesday in Advent.

Illustration from Alfred Hitchcock show about a woman trying to escape from prison in a casket, to be buried and then dug up...finds that she's buried with the caretaker who was supposed to be her rescue…ever been buried?

Ever been buried like that before? Sure you have, and so have I.

We’ve been buried in questions: “If God is so good, why do I hurt so bad?” “If Jesus is the light, why am I in the dark?”

We’ve been buried in disappointment: “You’re just not like your older brother!” “You’re just not like our last boss!”

We’ve been buried in responsibilities: “Here’s a 30 page case study—be ready to discuss it tomorrow.” “Honey, the kids have softball and baseball games tomorrow.”

We’ve been buried in the past—the minute we lost our temper, the hour we lost our purity, the day we lost control, the years we lost our priorities.

And on top of it all—literally—we’re buried in our daily self-assertion, self-righteousness, self-satisfaction, self-sufficiency and self-will.

Buried, boxed in, six feet under, again, right here, just now—it’s dark, tight, claustrophobic and the enemy has nailed the lid shut. And if there isn’t screaming, there are heavy sighs and lifeless looks and empty hearts.

Buried, boxed in, six feet under—so also Israelites in Babylon. Buried under the weight of their sins, their idolatry and waywardness from God, that had resulted in their being carried off as exiles into a foreign land. Watching in despair as their capital city Jerusalem was pillaged, burned, leveled, and destroyed. Their homes, the walls of the city, their strength, and most importantly of all, the holy and beautiful Temple of Solomon that was the crown jewel of Jerusalem. Desecrated, looted, demolished. We can hardly imagine the scale of their sadness and loss. Buried with questions: “Is God unable to save? Does He exist? Are the Babylonian gods greater? Or had God utterly abandoned us?” To people in this despair—to us in our despair and empty hearts, God called for comfort. Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People—speak of peace so says our God.

From where would such peace and comfort come? An epic conflict once took place. Not between the God of Israel and the gods of the Babylonians. Not between Israel’s soldiers and theirs. But a greater and more deadly battle between our Savior God, and all the forces of evil that were matched against Him. Jesus disarmed Himself and said “Ok, take your best shot.” And all evil was launched against Him. Judas, Pilate, Herod … thorns, nails, spear darkness, sweat and screaming, screaming, screaming, until there was total silence.

It all ended “crucified, dead and buried.” Nothing is as bottomless as a pit, as lifeless as a grave, as hopeless as a tomb. Smell the mildew, the odor of blood, the stench of death. See the confines, the darkness, and the sealed stone. Witness the charred marks of a divine explosion to life!

Cramped by the chaos, suffocating in the stillness, trapped in transgressions and sins, screaming in the silence, let’s light a match and see who we’re buried with. Well get this—Romans 6:4: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life!” Again Colossians 2:12: “Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”

Through water and the Word you and I have been buried and raised with Jesus our Lord. Our certain defeat is turned into a stunning, bottom of the ninth inning, come-from-behind victory. And so our buried, boxed-in scream is forever changed into a baptized, blood-bought, forgiven, Spirit-filled endless Hallelujah! God in Christ has pardoned all our sins that “well deserved His anger” and He has changed our deep sadness into ever-springing gladness. Truly God speaks tenderly to us when God writes, “Comfort, comfort my people.” Comfort is here. Comfort is yours. Comfort is now!

Sermon on the Psalms for Thanksgiving Eve, "Giving Thanks with the Psalms"

2011-11-28T13:35:00.002-06:00

Sermon Outline

1. “O Lord, open my lips; and my mouth will declare your praise” (Ps. 51:15). Remembering to give thanks is sometimes a matter of opening our mouths to give thanks back to God. Forgetful, ungrateful, reluctant, preoccupied. Worship calls us to stop from our busy-ness, and open our mouths to give praise and thanks for God. Open our lips in praise and thanksgiving more often! Acknowledges God is the giver.

2. What is a life lived without gratitude (thanksgiving)? Selfishness, discontent, greed, jealousy. Gratitude keeps us from selfishness; recognizes what we have is a gift, not our own. Gratitude makes us open to sharing. Gratitude frees us to be contented; thankful for whatever we have, not expecting more. God provides. Gratitude guards against greed and jealousy; satisfied with what’s my own—happy to help others protect and keep what is theirs. Celebrate what you have been given, also what they have been given! (9^th & 10^th Commandments).

3. “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” (Ps 9:1). Wholehearted thanks—more than just an obligatory “thank you.” How to give thanks? Start by telling all the things God has done. Go through one by one, name what God has done—individually; family; church; community; world/humanity. The crowning, wonderful deeds of God will always be His love and mercy in sending Jesus. His death and resurrection for us, overthrowing sin and death, giving forgiveness and eternal life.

4. “I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.” (Ps. 35:18. “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.^” (Ps. 57:9) Giving thanks is something we should do before others—both in the church, the assembly of God’s people, and also before all peoples. Singing God’s praise among the nations. Shows we are not ashamed to give God the credit and glory. Takes the spotlight off of us.

5. “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (Ps 115:1). Honor God, and not ourselves. Difference between pride and humility. Gratitude leads us to give credit where due, and doesn’t seek to build ourselves up with self-praise.

6. “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people…I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.” (Ps. 116:12-14, 17) How do we repay God for all that He’s done? Impossible that we could ever. But we do give back ourselves to Him—call on His name. Offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Give thanks back to Him. Render our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1)

7. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Ps 103:1-5). As you are thankful this and next year, forget not all his benefits. Don’t forget what God has done. We are called to remember and to thank God for all He’s done. We know God is worthy of all our thanks and praise. Forgiveness, healing, redemptions, life, crown, strength. Won for us through God’s love and mercy, all thanks to Him!

Sermon on Isaiah 64:1-9, for the First Sunday in Advent, "The Incomparable God"

2011-11-28T13:29:00.002-06:00

Sermon outline:

1. Ancient words from 2,700 years ago, still so applicable today. We wish that God would reveal Himself in His strength and power, with awesome miracles as of old. Show His power to His enemies and unbelievers. Recalls the miracles of the Exodus—Mount Sinai quaking at God’s presence, His powerful and fearsome miracles to deliver His people. Awesome things not looked for. Show us again! Today we also wish to see the miracles and power of God. Don’t remain hidden. Silence the mockers and doubters.

2. Isaiah’s time, Israel felt God was silent toward them. Enemies had taken Jerusalem and the Temple, Jews in exile in Babylon. A prayer filled with humility and sadness, recognizing their own guilt having brought judgment on the people and land. Admits they have been in sin a long time. Can they be saved? What firm ground can we stand on to face God when He does come? Our own righteousness? No. Our righteous deeds are like filthy rags. Then how?

3. I know there are people around us, if not you yourselves, then certainly among the friends and family of people here, who doubt if they can be saved, because of their sins. Believe in God in their heart, but fear His anger against their sin and disobedience. Fear it is irreparable. God could not, or would not take them back. Use words to describe themselves like: worthless, damaged goods, broken, lost, abandoned. Yet these are the ones Christ came to save! Joyfully, God can save us, though we have been in our sins a long time.

4. They have melted in the “hand of their iniquities”—guilt. We have all experienced suffering for our own sins, eating the bitter fruit of our actions. This guilt, this sin, even our righteous deeds that are like filthy rags—are an unbearable burden before our God. Unbearable before the incomparable, holy, sinless, perfect God. Face His wrath and anger and punishment.

5. Yes, God has anger against sin. It’s impossible that God could love or approve of sin, which is evil and contrary to His very nature. God will finally bring judgment one day against wickedness and those who reject Him. He will come as the prayer asks, “rending the heavens and coming down”. Jesus’ return will be in power and glory. His name will be known to all His enemies. We do not know how long God will withhold His judgment, so we should not test Him by our disobedience. But we know why He delays—He delays because it’s His desire that all repent and believe, so they can be saved. Wants our salvation/rescue.

6. Isaiah knew God was also merciful. God was unlike the false gods—because God did awesome things we did not look for. God’s salvation is not in a predictable way, such as we could have imagined. Not according to our own goodness—“all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment”—but according to His mercy. Coming of Jesus for salvation was filled with “un-looked for” miracles and deeds. Jesus revealed the kingdom of God, and showed His grace in an unexpected and unlooked for way. No other God like Him, who acts for those who wait for Him. Incomparable God. Unequaled in goodness, love, and mercy.

7. Isaiah prayed that God had hidden His face from them because of their sins. The Psalmist (51) prays that God would hide His face from our sins, and blot them out. Isaiah prays that God would not be so angry, and would not remember our sins—Jeremiah (31:34) answers that God would forgive our sins and remember them no more. How has this hope of the prophet been fulfilled, for him and for us? Jesus turned away God’s anger against sin, by taking it fully on Himself at the cross. Face wrath and punishment for sin, so that God would hide His face from our sins, remember them no more, and would instead show His Fatherly face of love toward us, and remember us as His people. He acts for us because we wait (in faith) for Him.

8. God remembers that we are dust, knows our frame. He is the potter who made us, and knows our frailties. Scripture fits together beautifully, with pleas of mercy to God, and answers of His great and abiding love for us, such as Psalm 103:8-19, which could be given as a direct answer to the prayer in Isaiah 64:

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (Ps 103:8-19).

9. God will return, and it will be fearful for those who place themselves as enemies of God, by rejection and disobedience. But for those who have known and trusted in His gracious coming in the person of Jesus Christ, who have laid hold of His promises and joyfully wait for His return, when He rends the heavens and comes down—His coming will be a day of joy and celebration. The firm ground on which we can stand to face God in His glorious coming is the righteousness and innocence of Jesus Christ. God will at last call His children home to the inheritance prepared for them—the new heavens and new earth. God in His full power and glory—face to face, not hidden, but revealed and present among us as our God.

Sermon Talking Points

Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

Why might we wish, like Isaiah did in Isaiah 64, that God would come down and reveal His power and glory? What miraculous deeds of God did his prayer recall? Exodus 20:18-21.

Why did Isaiah and the Jews feel as though God was silent towards them? Isaiah 63:17-19; 64:9-12. How do we sometimes feel or fear the same? That God is silent toward us because of our sins? How do we sometimes suffer under the guilt of our sin, when it remains unconfessed to God? Cf. Psalm 32 & 51

How are some people moved to total fear of God, so that they doubt God could even love or save them? Are they really beyond the reach of God’s love? Luke 18:13-14; 5:31-32

How has Jesus turned away God’s wrath against our sin? Romans ; 3:25; 5:9; 1 John 2:2

How will Jesus “rend the heavens and come down” on the day of Judgment? Acts 1:11; Matthew 26:64; 1 Thess. 4:16-18

Why does God presently delay His return for the final judgment? 2 Peter 3:9-13; 1 Tim. 2:4

How were Jesus’ miracles and teachings “awesome” and “unlooked for” things from our incomparable God? How does God hide His face from our sins? Psalm 51:9; Jer. 31:34

How does God remember and respond to our frailty as mortal human beings? Psalm 103:8-19; Where will He bring us at His return? Is. 65:17

Sermon on Matthew 25:31-46, for the Last Sunday of the Church Year, "Whose Mercy First?"

2011-11-23T11:57:00.002-06:00

Sermon Outline

1. Concern for Christians—what happens on the day of Judgment? Grace? Good works? How am I saved? How to be one of the sheep? How does Jesus know who are His sheep?

2. After Jesus’ separation of blessed from cursed, He evaluates their works. Yes, He will see our works. Particularly here mercy. Did they show mercy or not? Surprise in the parable is that Christ was hidden in the needy neighbor, the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick or imprisoned. He saw through the eyes of the needy neighbor whether we showed mercy or not. These merciful deeds or good works, are evaluated in the judgment. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matt. 5:7)

3. In our preview of the Day of Judgment, God shows mercy to those who were merciful. But whose mercy came first? Did God show mercy in saving the sheep because they had first shown mercy to others? Or did the sheep show mercy to others because God had first showed mercy to them in saving them? Not just word games—but a vital question. Did God respond to their merciful works by saving them? Good works are the cause, and our salvation is the effect? Or did they respond to God’s merciful work of salvation by showing mercy to others? God’s mercy and salvation is the cause, and our good works are the effect?

4. For many reasons as we’ll show, the choice clearly must be the second. God’s mercy came first, and was the very thing that caused the merciful good works of the sheep.

5. First, the separation of sheep and goats happens before the works are judged. Already defined identity. Who are the sheep? How does Jesus know who are His? Jesus teaches in John 10 that His sheep follow Him because they know His voice. Those who do not follow His voice are the goats. We are sheep if we have heard Jesus’ voice and followed His call. By grace we are His sheep—by grace He called us and guards us against danger. Jesus had pity on the crowds He saw in His ministry, because they were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Our shepherd came for His helpless sheep.

6. Second, the sheep are invited to “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Inherit is a grace word. Not earned, but given to family or adopted family. Our adoption into God’s family was in baptism. Before the foundation of the world. Before any good or bad works were done. God had already prepared it and chosen His sheep.

7. Titus 3 talks about this question of cause and effect also. What comes first? God’s mercy and our trust in that? Or the good works/life of mercy we live? Does our mercy come first, and God’s follows after us? Titus chapter three begins by describing how we too were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, sinners driven and pulled by our passions and pleasures, and doing evil. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”

8. First we were trapped in our sins, harassed and helpless, and then God appeared in His goodness and loving kindness. God’s mercy came first. Here’s the vital and deciding point: “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness”. It wasn’t because we had accumulated good works, it was not because of our prior glistening record of merciful deeds that God had a change of heart and saved us. No, He saw us in our sin and disobedience, gone astray from God, but in His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. He saved us through baptism, our spiritual rebirth, where God gave us a new birth, a new spirit.

9. Titus 3 goes on to record that He poured out this baptismal washing on us generously through Jesus, so that we would be justified (that is declared or counted innocent before God). How? How were we declared innocent? By our works again? No, by His grace! undeserved! And being justified by grace makes us heirs of eternal life. So we are brought right back to Jesus’ words: “come, inherit…” Inheritance that is a free gift. God’s grace. Then what about the works? Isn’t it a contradiction then that Jesus goes on to examine their works before sending them into eternal life, or sending the goats into eternal punishment?

10. Not at all. Because God’s mercy, and our trust in Him as those who hear and follow His voice is the cause—but good works are the effect. They do follow after, and it’s no contradiction that they will be seen and evaluated in the judgment. If there is not faith there to produce the works, then they will obviously be absent.

11. Titus 3, after affirming that salvation and justification is all by grace, all God’s gift, continues by saying: “The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.” Notice the cause and effect again? The reason God did this for us, is so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. The merciful life, the excellent and profitable things that Christians are to do are the natural response of faith. Mercy marks the Christian because mercy marked Christ.

12. Both individually and as a church body, mercy should mark our daily actions. Feeding of the thirsty and hungry, showing hospitality to the stranger. Clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned. Who does it? Church? Gov’t? Secular charities? Not for us to pass off responsibility. Not to be seen by others or for recognition. Surprise of the sheep that they had done them. Forgetful of the good done, because not for credit, to earn salvation, approval, applause, etc. But done freely and willingly out of mercy, as we have received mercy.

13. The goats, those who are condemned on The Day, are forgetful that they ever didn’t do those things. Fundamental difference of how the believer and the unbeliever sees the neighbor in their need. Believer sees Christ in their need…unbeliever does not see Christ in the need of the poor. This mercy was already a quality built into (the sheep) by faith in Jesus. It was missing in the goats because they had no faith.

14. To show mercy for the neighbor, the poor, the stranger, is to show mercy to Christ in disguise. Watch and be mindful of those opportunities. Additional ways to help beyond what we already do? Food pantry. Other needs? How will we respond?

15. God is first merciful to us. We love because He first loved us. Judgment Day is the final sorting after Jesus’ rescue mission to earth has fully been carried out. Came for the lost, hurting, the harassed and helpless. Found and called lost sheep to hear and follow. Followed through suffering and cross. Christians marked by mercy as Christ is mercy. Judgment is the final separation. Those who followed Him and were merciful. Those who did not follow & so were not merciful. Greatest joy that God is a God of mercy, because He gives of Himself freely and undeservedly. Not anything we earned. His generosity. “Because when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy”. May His goodness and mercy always shape our lives. Amen.

Sermon Talking Points

Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What thoughts/emotions fill your mind at the thought of Judgment Day? Fear? Dread? Indifference? Doubt? Confidence? Anticipation? Why?

2. What separation will take place on that day? What will be taken into consideration in that judgment? Does this mean that we are saved by good works? See Titus 3:3-5. Which comes first? God’s mercy toward us? Or our merciful works? Which is the cause and which is the effect? Good works are a product of what? Titus 3:8

3. How does one become an heir? Titus 3:7; Galatians 3:26-4:7.

4. When did God prepare His kingdom for us? How does this also preclude works from being the cause of our salvation? Ephesians 1:3-5

5. Who are the sheep? How are they known? John 10:1-18

6. Why is mercy characteristic of Christians? Luke 6:36; Matt. 5:37; 18:33.

7. What are ways that we can be more conscious of our needy neighbors? How can we support them? What organizations? On an individual level?

8. Why should the Christian doing good works not seek attention, praise, or recognition? Matthew 6:1-17

9. How does God’s mercy prepare us for (and spare us on) the day of Judgment? For what reason does He? 1 John 2:2

Sermon on Matthew 25:14-30, for the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, "Let us be found faithful"

2011-11-14T12:50:00.003-06:00

1. Jesus’ departure and return. Amazing that Christ makes us stewards of His gifts so that we be found faithful when He returns. Keys to the kingdom of heaven. Speaking the forgiveness of sins that opens heaven to repentant believers. It also locks the gate to those who have no sorrow over their sin, or reject the Savior Jesus.

2. Stewards of our time—not wasteful or lazy, as the unworthy servant. Stewards of our treasure. Money is a gift that God entrusts to us. Put it to good use. NT teaches giving motivated out of thankfulness and joy, not begrudgingly. But should be done and developed as a discipline. Expected to put it to good use.

3. If we take something of worth that God gives to us, and we bury it for no use, then we will be found poor and faithless stewards. But if we put it to use, it will be for the benefit of others.

4. Our talents. Parable about money, but wider application intended. Different gifts, according to our ability. Not for jealousy or rivalry but service of others.

4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷ But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,

and he gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:1-16)

5. God’s gifts, put to use, will bear fruit. But God’s measurement was not how much was produced (successfulness) but that His gift was put to use (faithfulness).

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 13:3-8

6. Burying your talent out of fear. Justified in his inaction because of fear? No. Rather condemned. View of God? Cruel, harsh, hard man? If that were really true, wouldn’t inaction be all the more inexcusable? Assumed the task was harder than it actually was. Even mere investment would have been better than nothing. Hands back money: “Here, you have what is yours” implies wanting nothing to do with what was given/entrusted. Profess to believe in God, but do everything to waste or nothing to honor/use what He’s given? Will that be rewarded?

7. Small catechism describes gifts we’ve been given:

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.

He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.

8. Christ has supplied us with all good gifts. Prepared us to be good stewards. His gift abounds and produces fruit. Counts faithfulness and use of gifts, not the measure of our success. Not a cruel taskmaster—only asks faithfulness with the measure we’ve been given, according to our ability and His grace.

9. What is the report we look forward to and anticipate at the end of our life? Do we wish to be left outside of God’s kingdom in a place of weeping and regret, because we were a wicked and lazy servant? Or to be commended “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” This commendation comes by grace from God—because His gift, by His grace was put to use in our lives. We are to practice faithfulness with what He entrusts, so He will find us faithful when He returns. We labor God gives the growth. Spirit of Jesus at work bearing fruit within us. Christ’s gifts bring returns when we put them to use. If we are putting them to use, no matter how successful, whether through trials, errors, failures, and successes, we can know that He will count us faithful, because He Himself is faithful to all His promises.

Sermon Talking Points

Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com

Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

What does the “man going on a journey” represent in this and other parables? Matt. 21:33; 25:5; John 14:1-6; 16:16-33; Acts 1:6-11
What is the significance of his entrusting his property to the servants? What does he expect them to do until he returns? What has Jesus entrusted us (His servants) with?
What are the gifts or talents that God has specifically given to you? (note that in the parable, “talents” refers to a measurement of money. However, in applying the parable, God-given abilities (“talents” in the other sense) are appropriately included). How are you putting your “talents” to use?
Have you “buried” any of your gifts or talents? Have you used the blessings and time, talent, treasure that God has given you for your own personal gain and not for others?
When the master takes account of the servants, does he measure their success, or their faithfulness? What’s the difference? If we put what God has entrusted to us to good use, do you think it matters how successful (in earthly terms) we are with it? 1 Corinthians 3:6-7. Who “gives the growth” when we labor for God?
What is the reward of the two good and faithful servants? What is the punishment of the unworthy servant? The unworthy servant evaluates the master as literally a harsh or cruel man, and justifies his inaction by his fear of the master. Does the master affirm that description of himself, or judge the servant by his own words? Luke 19:20-22.
Is God a harsh or cruel master? Or will He let people who already think that see Him that way? See Psalm 18:25-26 (compare translations) How would the two worthy servants perceive their master? How do we see God’s generosity and mercy toward us? How does He supply all we need to be faithful servants?

Sermon on Revelation 7:9-17, for All Saints' Day, "For All the Saints"

2011-11-07T12:41:00.002-06:00

Sermon Outline

We believe that those who have believed in Jesus Christ, have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb of God, are standing together at God’s throne worshipping. Continuing the song of praise they began in this life—salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb. Alone can save.
Distinct beings in heaven—separate classes of angels, four living creatures, and the saints and elders (humans gone to heaven). Contrast to sentimental notion that we become angels when we die.
Saints clothed in white—through the tribulation, washed in the blood.
They serve God day and night in His temple
God shelters the saints: no hunger, thirst, no scorching heat. The Lamb is the Shepherd. Interesting merging of metaphors—the Lamb of God was Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins. But as the Shepherd, He leads and cares for His flock. Psalm 23, guiding them to springs of Living Water.
God is wiping away all tears from their eyes.
Sorrow in this life can be inexpressible. Who can comfort our sorrows as God can? Yet here in life we still often have the feeling of separation from God. We know that God is everywhere, that He is omnipresent—but what comfort does that bring someone if they don’t know where or how they can grab ahold of Him (or rather, where they can be assured that God has grabbed ahold of them)? In the water of baptism, you were washed and God’s name was placed on you. God began an ongoing relationship with you as Father to dearly loved child. In the Word of God, He speaks directly to you, for the repentance of your sins and forgiveness in Jesus. In the Lord’s Supper, you receive His body and blood in your hand and mouth. God is there for us to grab ahold of Him. He holds us securely in His arms, so that nothing, not even death can snatch us out of them.
Who can count the saints? They are innumerable, they will shine like the stars in the heavens (Daniel 12:3). Do you ever think about the fact that while we are worshipping in church, we are not gathered merely as the 20, 40, 60, 80, or 100 here, but we are gathered in the presence of God, and we join in the heavenly songs of worship that are being sung by that multitude of saints around the throne.
What makes a saint different from those who are not? The measure of a saint is not their perfection of life; because all the saints were and are also sinners. The measure of a saint is that they trusted in God. The word saint means “holy one”. But holy not because of their good works, but holy because Jesus cleanses us and makes us holy. The white robes of the saints in the vision of heaven are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Come now let us reason together… Holiness of life follows after faith in Christ. Saints in Christ do commit themselves to holy living, and seeking God’s path, despite their failures in this life. Saints can be remarkable for their life as redeemed sinners, but never perfect.
Have you ever noticed how “musical” the book of Revelation is? That there are many scenes of worship and hymns of praise to God throughout? Some of those hymns have even become part of the church’s song here on earth. Songs like “This is the Feast” or hymns like “Behold a Host Arrayed in White” or “Crown Him with Many Crowns” or “The Lamb” or “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus” or “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” or “Holy, Holy, Holy” and many other hymns directly draw on the imagery of heaven and the words of praise found in the book of Revelation. The music in heaven is going to be glorious! Anyone who’s seen or heard a song festival, or great choir of voices singing in beautiful harmonies, or resounding in powerful unison, and had that “chicken skin” or tingly feeling run up your back with joy, has experienced the power of music. You’ve had a small glimpse of what the heavenly worship will sound like. Martin Luther called music God’s second greatest gift, second only to theology—the study of God’s Word. Music has the power to “drive away the devil and make people cheerful…to forget anger, [impurity], pride, and other vices. [He placed] music next to theology and gave it the highest praise.” He believed that music must be taught in the schools, and that it made fine, skillful people. He felt that music should be taught to the youth so that they were “weaned from the love ballads and the sex songs, and instead of these, learn something beneficial.” He wanted music and the arts to be redeemed for God’s purposes, so that the faith could be sung into the hearts of the people, and be made memorable.(What Luther Says, p. 979-81). It has the power, Luther believed, and I do as well, to drive away fear and the devil.
I think also that it is a lie put into our minds by the devil, that heaven will somehow be a boring, lifeless, or uninteresting. Perhaps this Bible passage has even been misunderstood to picture heaven as “eternal choir practice.” It does say that the saints will serve God day and night in His temple, but the picture of heaven is far from dull if you read the book of Revelation. It is a colorful, beautiful place of joy, life, celebration, feasting and song. To think that heaven could in any way be disappointing or dull is to wrongly assume that God who created us, who gave us the good and healthy desires for the good things and joys of His creation, would somehow not know what was good and best for us. It strangely imagines that God is “out of touch” with what would give the greatest joy and peace to the people that He minted in His own image. Nothing could be further from the truth! We only know glimpses and shadows of what heaven will be like, but as Paul wrote, we see now as in a mirror darkly, but then face to face (1 Cor. 13:12). There’s much we can’t even grasp or understand about what heaven will be like. But there is one thing that we can be sure of—that it will be Paradise! That it will be the unsurpassed joy of knowing God face to face, having no more suffering, and experiencing the world as it should have been. Experiencing the creation as God intended it to be, not as it has been corrupted through sin.
Since eternity is forever, we sometimes might fear that it will be too long or drag on, or get boring. But the problem isn’t with what God has waiting for us in heaven, but the problem is with our own human flesh, and how we perceive it. Suspecting that heaven could ever be disappointing or boring is to doubt God’s power, that He would somehow make something inferior.
Want to be a saint? Fear you can’t? Wash your robes in the blood of the lamb. Take the forgiveness Jesus freely offers through His blood shed on the cross and be washed clean. His is the purity, the innocence, the holiness that we wear as we join the heavenly throng of worshippers around the throne.

Sermon on John 8:31-36, for Reformation Day, "Slavery, License, and Freedom"

2011-10-31T12:43:00.003-05:00

Sermon outline
-freedom turned toward sin and evil purposes ceases to be freedom

1. Truth is under fire today. Can truth be known? Obstacles and bias, mind of flesh doesn’t understand the things of the spirit. Always asking from our direction...but what about from God’s direction? Can God make His truth known to us? Some would say no. When someone tells you that it’s impossible to know the truth, ask is that because they have trouble knowing or finding truth, or whether God is somehow incapable of making truth known. God’s hands seem to be tied. But this falsely limits God’s power just because we recognize our own limitations of knowledge and truth. Such a God is “too small.” The true God can and does communicate His truth in a knowable and meaningful way. Didn’t just leave it up to our “best guess.” Abide in Jesus’ word, be a disciple >> know the truth >> truth will set you free.

2. Blindness to slavery (of sin), and the true nature of freedom. Slavery in Egypt, in Babylon; foreign rule under Persia, Greece, now Rome. Did not enjoy political freedom that they craved. Pride. Jesus shows deeper blindness to slavery of sin.

3. How we want to define freedom--recent newsletter article. Freedom “from something.” Do whatever I want. Freedom from rule, authority (but this would be freedom from order; freedom is not anarchy) or freedom from responsibility, duty. (But that would be freedom from love! Remember last week? Love is a duty to God and neighbor--but not a reluctant, forced duty--rather a joyful and willing one. That’s why it can’t be produced by force--only love and freedom create this response of loving duty/good works). Freedom that God gives is freedom toward love and community. “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal. 5:13) Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (1 Pet. 2:16)

4. Freedom of God is not freedom to sin. Even if we want to define freedom as “I do what I like/want.” To disregard God’s law is not freedom, its a path back to slavery. Not really freedom--actually is “license.” Our nature wants to turn freedom into license--license to sin. Jesus did not die on the cross to give us permission to sin, or so that we could think that God ignores our sin. This is “freedom” misused for selfish purposes. Rather, He died so we are freed from sin.

5. The Christian writer Os Guiness warns that we dare not idolize freedom, because then freedom will undermine itself. Don’t idolize freedom; recognize its as a good gift from God. Freedom undermined >> permissiveness or license to sin. Freedom undermined >> obsession with security. Freedom undermined >> doing things that are contrary to freedom—i.e. the torturing of prisoners. Guiness warns that if we raise up freedom as an idol in place of God, He will destroy that idol. That is to say that freedom can only be properly enjoyed when we put God first, and enjoy it as His gift.

6. For example, a parent wanting “freedom from responsibility” to raise and care for their child, who leaves them without care, is not truly experiencing freedom—but have given themselves over to “license.” What they want without regard for others or God. Painful consequences. Children suffer lack of love they were intended for, while the adult selfishly pursues their own interests, making their freedom an idol, they become enslaved to their own sin.

7. Consequences sometimes become unbearable or burdens heavier than we can manage. We see why people sin by neglecting duty--but doesn’t make it right. Jesus came to bear our burdens, to pay for our sin. We can help bear other peoples’ burdens, make them bearable by assistance, compassion, love. Love draws us into service, not away from duty. Help people not to escape consequences, but to deal with them responsibly (ex. drug or alcohol rehab, adoption agencies and crisis pregnancy counseling, educational opportunities, etc)

8. Example of a businessman thinking they are free from accountability or authority. Cheats customers, or behaves dishonestly to get a better profit. Maybe can even do it in a way that appears legal. Harmful consequences--people robbed of fair products, prices or service. Trust in business broken. Dishonesty undermines good business. Integrity, on the other hand, does what is right and fair, even when no one watches. Freedom doesn’t mean “I’ll do it because I can get away with it”--freedom says “I’ll do what’s true and right and good for my neighbor. My honesty is evaluated before God, even if no one sees what I do.”

9. Both examples to illustrate that when we use our freedom to sin, we become slaves to sin again. Choosing sin is not choosing freedom, as if freedom were expressed either in doing good or doing evil. But rather, choosing sin is choosing slavery. Sin always locks us up and binds us with spiritual chains of guilt, shame, despair, broken relationships and obligations, pain, suffering, physical spiritual, and emotional consequences of our actions.

10. True freedom in Christ--freedom from those chains. Forgiveness--God’s love has taken off our chains. Choosing to be chained again is not freedom. It is rejecting forgiveness. But what deliverance and joy to be celebrated, when our chains are broken, and we’re set free!! Martin Luther experienced this freedom when he rediscovered what the Bible really taught about the forgiveness of sins, and how God saves us by grace—a gift. That we are not saved by our (failed) duty to the law. He saw what the book of Romans taught, that you heard in our reading today—3:32-34. As a gift.

11. Jesus came promising this gift of freedom to the Jews. Promising that if they remained in His word, became His disciples, they would know the truth that sets them free. Not mere political freedom. Real freedom from the slavery of sin and its power, which is death. Sin enslaves our lives in countless ways when we disobey God. Freedom from sin couldn’t be won for them by any human effort or striving or power. Freedom that could only come as God’s gift, through the His Son Jesus, who is the Truth. Only the Son can set us free—and if He does, we are truly free.

12. Like we said before, this freedom is easily lost. When Luther rediscovered this freedom in the early 1500s, when he began his Reformation of the church, there were those who opposed him, saying that if you teach that salvation is a totally free gift from God, and that our works have nothing to do with it, then people will turn that freedom into license. That if people realized that salvation was a totally free and undeserved gift from God, that they would despise the gift and never do good. So the leaders of the church obscured this free gift of salvation for the sake of making people more moral.

13. Luther recognized that love and good works can’t flow from forced obedience or slavery and guilt under the law, but only from the faith in Jesus: God’s free gift. Same objection raised to Paul when he preached the free gospel of forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus. His detractors objected that if grace is a free gift—shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? Paul’s answer was “By no means!” What Jesus said is true—that to return to sin is not freedom, but a return to slavery. Our freedom is only given and only maintained by Jesus Christ. This is the heart of the Reformation and the recapturing of the Truth that sets us free. Jesus rescues us from the slavery of sin and the guilt we bore under the law—He sets us on the path of discipleship to follow Him, and rescues us from every evil deed—to keep us on that straight and narrow path of freedom. Not falling to the right or to the left, into slavery or license, but following the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Son has set you free! You are free indeed!

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What is the reason for skepticism toward truth today? Was this skepticism equally present in Jesus’ time? John 18:37-38; Acts 17:21 Is God able to make His truth known, and how did He choose to do so?

2. How were the Jews who talked to Jesus blind about their own slavery & the meaning of freedom? Exodus 1:13-14; 24:18; Ezra 9:9. How is blindness to sin also slavery? John 8:34; Rom. 6:17-18

3. How does freedom undermine itself when we idolize it? What does freedom easily turn into? Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16; Jude 4

4. Describe how this false sense or use of freedom can enslave us and hurt others. Give examples. Where do you see this danger in your own life?

5. What “chains” are broken off of us when Jesus sets us free and forgives our sins? What truth did Martin Luther grasp from the book of Romans that set him free, and helped him realize the source of our freedom? Rom. 3:23-24.

6. What reaction came against Luther’s (Paul’s!) teaching of salvation as a free gift? What did people fear would happen? How they would misuse freedom? Rom. 6:1-3. Why can’t this fear change the message of the free Gospel? What would happen if fear and compulsion again drove our obedience to God? 1 John 4:18-19.

7. Who is the Truth that sets us free? John 14:6. How do we exercise our new-found freedom in Christ? How do we walk on the Way that He freed us for?

Sermon on Matthew 22:34-46, for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost, "Who Fulfills Love's Duty?"

2011-10-24T14:06:00.003-05:00

Sermon Outline:

1. “Question everything”—worldly motto: t-shirts, bumper stickers, script of TV sitcom. Healthy philosophy to live by? Suspicion of authority, media, ivory towers, sources of knowledge. Not all questions are of the same stripe. Skepticism? Distract? Avoid an issue? Trip up, entangle, embarrass? To learn?

2. Questions for Jesus, finally dared ask Him no more. But here, a really profound question: which is the great commandment in the Law? Hoped to catch Him. Jesus gives a straightforward answer, nonetheless one which astonished the Jews for its wisdom. Always brought things back to the central point, not getting side-tracked by distractions or evasions.

3. Question was not asked as a question about salvation, per se, but really a question of duty. The commandments were a question of our duty to God.

4. Answer leaves out nothing and includes everything. Brilliant! “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

5. How do we react to Jesus’ summary of the law? Relief that Jesus reduced the 10 commandments to 2, so there’s less to keep? The Jewish Rabbis counted 613 commandments in all the Scriptures. So was Jesus making the law easier? Lowering the bar so we can all jump the hurdle?

6. Summary of the law is simple, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy. Jesus’ simplification of the law doesn’t mean we’re closer to being able to keep it. Elevates the law to its full height. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind. There is no corner of our heart, soul, or mind that should be kept from loving Him. No reserve or reluctance, no hesitation to love Him. God wants our full and undivided love. This summary of the first and great command embraces the first 3 of the 10 commandments: You shall have no other gods before me, you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, and Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. His answer included everything to do with our duty to God.

7. What would loving God with all your heart look like? Willingly do everything God commands out of sheer love and honor, with no reluctance or compulsion. Endure discipline for good, accept blessing and hardship and still love God regardless. Whatever my state in life, rich, poor, healthy, sick, to love God without reserve or condition. Do you?

8. What about to love God with all your soul? Such a person would give their inmost spirit and life wholly to God in joyful love and service. To count God as more precious than our own soul. Remember “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul?” To even be willing to lay down our life for our friends, which Jesus taught was the greatest love. A person who loved God with all their soul could pray: “My life is in your hands,” or even “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”

9. What does it mean to love God with all your mind? To know that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Prov. 1:7). Not to let worldly human wisdom crowd out God’s truth from our mind, or put trust in man’s partial, minute, and limited knowledge, over God’s divine perspective and Word. Surrender ourselves to be “transformed by the renewing of our mind.” Knowing God’s ways are higher than our ways, and to love and praise them even when we don’t understand. To consciously and with full agreement love and believe in God.

10. What about to love our neighbor as ourselves? Jesus’ second commandment embraces all the rest of the 10 commandments. Duty to our neighbor, is also duty to God. Honor your father and mother, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness (lie) against your neighbor, you shall not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Jesus’ answer didn’t leave out all the details of the law, but showed instead that love and duty to God undergirds all of the commandments.

11. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:18-21)

12. Loving our neighbor as our self is harder than it might first seem on the surface. Can’t say we love God if we don’t love our brother. But love originates from God, not us: We love because He first loved us. Jesus is the only true path to find the love that we need to love our brother, our neighbor, and even our enemy, as Jesus commands. Not just the easy ones, but the hard to love ones. Closest to us can often hurt us the most. This love comes first from God, and is the only thing powerful enough to change our hearts to love others.

13. If we could just keep those two laws Jesus summarized, we would do no wrong. However, this is impossible for us. Sad reality. Problem is not with the law, but with our carrying it out. We simply can’t obey it to the perfection that He requires. Not with all our heart, soul, and mind. The question for Jesus, “which is the great commandment—what’s my duty to God?” leaves us failing on all counts. We can’t argue with the rightness, the goodness, the nobleness of the commandment. In our hearts we all recognized it is true, praiseworthy, admirable. Yet we can’t do it.

14. So who fulfills love’s duty? Jesus says all the Law and Prophets depend, or literally “hang” on these two commandments. That is, all the Bible, that is as much as was written till that point—the OT, depends on Love. Love is the linchpin, the framework, the undergirding, on which everything hangs. This essential quality of God.

15. The answer lies in Jesus’ final climactic question—the question He turned back on them that they could not answer a word to, and after which they dared ask Him no more questions—trick questions or otherwise. Not to humiliate or trip them up, but to put them on the spot, and open their eyes to who He was. “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? How is it that David can call Him Lord, if He is his son?”

16. They now grasped the full goodness and greatness of God’s law, but it left them utterly guilty before God. It is good and right for us to recognize our guilt in the same way. But Jesus loved those Pharisees and Sadducees, and He loves us. Doesn’t want us left in the condemnation of our sins. Pointed them to Himself, the Christ. Know who He was—yes, the son of David—ancestor and rightful heir to King David’s throne—but far more—the Son of God. Greater than David, greater than an earthly king. A messiah or savior that was more than a mere man—also the Son of God. He was the one who could and did fulfill love’s duty. He alone loved God with all His heart, soul, and mind, and who truly loved His neighbor as Himself. He alone obeyed the full extent of God’s law and fulfilled every duty before Him. He alone was the truest and purest expression of God’s love in the world, one who loved God with all His heart—unconditionally through good or evil, blessing or suffering; Who loved God with all His soul—giving His life for His friends, and praying at His death “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Who loved God with all His mind, which is the beginning of all wisdom. Delighting in the truth of God’s Word and commandments rather than the wisdom of men. He is love, the fulfilling of all the commandments. He is the promised one, the fulfilling of all the prophets. The law and the prophets could all hang on Him. All our failed duty toward God was fulfilled in Him. We’re not saved through the keeping of the law—but through Jesus who kept it for us. Jesus is our Lord, our Savior, the author and perfecter of our faith, who fulfilled all love’s duty for us and for God. He is the one who is alive and working in us so that we might follow in His love and begin to also love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves. And when we begin to do so, we are loving, because He first loved us and gave Himself up for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. When is a question a good question? Is skepticism always harmful? What are types of questions that are bad? What should the goal of a good question be?

2. What does it mean to say that the question about the commandments were a question of duty? What directions does our “duty” take us in the two commandments Jesus gives? What was the brilliance of Jesus’ answer? Why is love unafraid of, or willingly accept duty? How does that contrast to obedience based on fear? 1 John 4:18

3. Did Jesus’ simplification or summary of the commandments make them easier or harder? Describe what it means to love God with all your heart. Soul. Mind. Exodus 20:1-11; Job 2:9-10; Luke 23:45; Matt. 16:24-27; Prov. 1:7; Rom. 12:1-2

4. What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? Matt. 5:44-46; 10:37; 1 John 4:20-21. When is it especially difficult to love our neighbor as ourselves? Where do we find the capacity for such love? 1 John 4:10, 19

5. How do all the Law and Prophets (the Old Testament) hang or depend on these two commandments? What would happen if love was removed? How is Jesus’ death on the cross the fulfillment of all the Law and Prophets? These two great commands? Spend time reflecting on how Jesus specifically loved God with all His heart, soul, and mind, and loved His neighbor as Himself.

6. Why did Jesus’ last question for the Pharisees and Sadducees, turn them back to Him for the final deliverance from the guilt of our failed duty to God? What truth about Jesus were they unwilling to see or admit? What made Jesus greater than David or any other earthly king, and what made Him the solution for our dilemma before God?

Sermon on Matthew 22:15-22, for Children's Sunday, "Minted In God's Image"

2011-10-17T14:06:00.004-05:00

1. Intro: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Famous saying of Jesus, response to those who were trying to trap Him in His words about taxation. Paying taxes was never very popular. Often used to prove that Jesus supported the legal authority of governments to tax the citizens, and the citizens’ duty to pay their taxes (Minor point). Major point= render to God the things that are God’s.

2. Render means to pay, or to give back. What you owe, what is due. The reason Jesus gave for the government’s right to tax, was the inscription and likeness of Caesar, the emperor, on the coin. They had minted the coin. To ‘mint’ a coin is to stamp or press an image onto a piece of metal. The coin then has the “likeness” or picture of whatever person was used. Abraham Lincoln on a penny, George Washington on a quarter. On the back, it has the inscription of the United States of America. Image shows ownership.

3. On to the major point! Jesus “caught” His challengers not merely in their grumbling about taxes, but far more importantly, in the fact that they had failed to “render to God what is God’s.” His profound point was that we, as human beings, are MINTED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. God has “stamped” His imprint, His image on us, so that we’re to be a reflection of God. And since we are MINTED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, we should “render” or pay back ourselves to Him.

4. Far more important for Jesus’ hearers than their reluctance to pay taxes to Rome, was their reluctance to give themselves to God! And they had the image of God stamped on each one of them! Just like the realization that coins minted in the image of Caesar were ultimately due back to the Roman government, so also they should have realized that they—their very selves—their lives and their souls, were minted in the image of God, and were ultimately due back to Him.

5. Explore. How were we “minted” or created in the image of God? Gen. 1:26-27,
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

6. Man and woman’s highest glory and honor to be made in the image of God. Foundation of human dignity and equality—treat all human life as valuable, precious and equal in God’s sight. Was not a universally held value, but was spread throughout the world by Christian teaching. Our virtues of compassion and the dignity and worth of all human life are founded on this principle that we are made in God’s image. Basis for why it’s wrong to take innocent human life.

7. A rational, thinking soul, unlike the animals. God has given us the good gifts of reason, language, and wisdom to use and apply in ruling the world. Creative. Spiritual. All this was to be dedicated to God. Rendered to God by faithful use of His creation. Obedience, worship, prayer, attentiveness to God’s Word. A right relationship and fellowship with God. Love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. Original innocence. Didn’t last.

8. Losing the image of God in the Fall. No longer sinful, now guilty. Image corrupted and darkened. But still kept a “ruined glory.” Still capable of incredible learning, artistry, creativity, literature, compassion--but ruined in our sinfulness. When we forget that knowledge of the image of God in which we were made, we fail to realize that GOD MINTED US IN HIS IMAGE SO WE WOULD BECOME HIS AGENTS OF LOVE AND OBEDIENCE. We turn from serving God and acting as a reflection of His image in the world, to serving ourselves and our own self-interest. Sin against God and sin against each other. Misuse of mind and will in rebellion against God our Creator, the One who minted us with His image. When we don’t recognize the image of God in others, how do we treat them? (pause)

9. What can be the result when we forget that we were made in the image of God? (pause) The words of one dead rock star shows one sad result: “I belong to the Blank Generation. I have no beliefs. I belong to no community, tradition, or anything like that. I’m lost in this vast vast world. I belong nowhere. I have absolutely no identity.” (Mangalwadi, 74)....this is the voice of a despairing and empty soul—empty of any meaning, any identity, value, or dignity. When we try to erase the knowledge of God or forget His imprint on our soul, such despair and emptiness becomes possible, likely, and even inevitable. The opposite of the rich meaning and life with God that we are intended for, when He made us in His image.

10. We can deny it exists and live as though we were no different from the animals. We can dirty that image through sin. But even a coin deeply scratched and covered in dirt, still bears its image. But it needs to be cleaned off. God’s amazing “cleaning service:” free of charge—forgiveness. Jesus Christ was having this conversation just days before He was going to put that “cleaning plan” into effect. Days from cross, the awful penalty that He paid to wash away our sin, cleanse us from the “sin dirt” that covers us, and make us presentable to God. We can “render to God what is God’s” because we are simply giving back to God what He already made, and has cleansed and purified through Jesus’ forgiveness. We can render ourselves to God because He wants to take us back, even if we have been scratched and made dirty through sin. He lovingly cleanses and restores His image in us through Jesus Christ. He died on the cross so that His blood could wash away the most deeply ingrained sin. So that He could begin the work of restoring us to our original glory. That work will only be complete in heaven, but begins now with the transformation and new life that Jesus works in you.

11. This was the heart of Jesus’ conversation with those men that day. They were focused on taxation, but He used it as an opportunity to talk about something of far greater importance--that GOD HAD MINTED US IN HIS IMAGE SO WE WOULD BECOME HIS AGENTS OF LOVE AND OBEDIENCE. They had forgotten or ignored that fact. We forget or ignore or deny that fact. Yet Jesus wants to open our eyes to see that we are the bearers of God’s own image! What an incredible glory and honor! And He wants us to use our created gifts of reason, knowledge, work, and love in service of Him and of our neighbor.

12. God granted the greatest honor and dignity to us sinful human beings, when He descended to us, and became a human being! This one of the single most amazing facts of Christianity, that God became man. We worship Jesus as that God-man. That it is even possible for God to become man is because of the fact that God made us in His own image! He became “Emmanuel—God With Us.” So it was not beneath God’s dignity or honor to do this since He was entering the crowning work of His creation. Rather, God becoming man in Jesus elevates and raises our dignity as human beings. That God found us needy of saving, and entered into our lives and our humanity to do it. That He became one with us in our suffering and death, so that we might become one with Him in His innocence and in His life. Minted in His image, let us render or give ourselves completely to Him, in heart, soul, and mind. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What was Jesus’ advice about paying taxes? Matthew 22:20-21; 17:24-27; Romans 13:6-7.

2. What was the bigger point that Jesus was making for His hearers? What was the analogy to the coin, for why they also were “due back” to God?

3. What does it mean that we are made in the “image of God?” Genesis 1:26-27; What qualities of God are reflected in humanity in a lesser degree? Creativity, reason, spirituality; name more.

4. How does this belief that we are made in God’s image provide the foundation for the belief in universal human dignity and equality, and the value of human life? Genesis 9:6; Acts 17:26-27

5. In the original perfection of creation, how did God plan for humans to live out that reality of being made in His image? What qualities would He have expected them to show?

6. What happened to that image of God in us, when Adam and Eve first sinned? Genesis 3. Describe how today, in the state of our “ruined glory” we can see both hints of the image of God in humanity and also see obvious evidence of the corruption of sin in humanity.

7. Sin obscures the image of God in us, and leaves scars behind, but what “cleansing” and restoration does God offer, and how? Ephesians 4:17-24; Colossians 3:9-10. 1 John 1:7; John 3:16

8. How does the fact that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ again give the greatest reaffirmation of human dignity and worth, and show God’s great love for us? Philippians 2:4-10; Colossians 1:19-20; 2:9-10; Romans 5:10

Sermon on Matthew 22:1-14, for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost, "Dressed for the Wedding"

2011-10-10T13:49:00.001-05:00

Sermon outline

1. Parable built on OT picture, here of heaven. King= Father; Son= Jesus; invited guests = Jews/Jesus’ original audience; wedding feast = end times celebration of Jesus joined to His bride, the church (foreshadowed in Is. 25:6-9); Wedding hall = kingdom of God/church; Abuse/rejection/murder of servants = reaction of Jews to prophets/Jesus.

2. What kind of incredible honor it was to be invited to the King’s Son’s wedding? Royal feast, spared no expense, finest food and everything prepared. Only come, enjoy and celebrate my son’s wedding with me! What an insult to refuse the invitation? Imagine being given the exclusive invitation to the wedding of the President’s child, and you said you couldn’t come. Made some excuse about needing to clean your yard or do your chores. Had to work late. Seems unimaginable enough by itself, such an insult. How much unimaginably worse if one were to abuse and murder the messengers? Yet this is just what happened when it came to God’s invitation. Invited many times by the prophets. Abuse, insult, excuses, death.

3. But also portrays the response people presently give to God’s invitation—ridicule, excuses, indifference, better things to do. World today is distracted endlessly by amusements and things and work and a million other things that turn our attention away from God.

4. King’s response reflects specific historical judgments: first time in OT when Babylonians destroyed the Temple & Jerusalem. 2nd time was yet to come, 40 years after Jesus, as He prophesied the Romans destroyed the 2nd Temple and Jerusalem again. How should we expect to be repaid if we despise such an honor and invitation?

5. Weddings from casual to elaborately formal, always are an occasion for careful choice in clothing. Surprise in parable, that a guest is thrown out for not having a wedding garment. Where was he supposed to get it? All the guests came in from the highways and roads.

6. Ancient custom that the host provided wedding garments for all the guests. Isaiah 61:10 comes at the end of a chapter praising what God will do when the Messiah (Jesus) will arrive and bring the year of the Lord’s favor. In verse ten it proclaims, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” God provides the garments of salvation, the wedding clothes to wear at His banquet. All the invited guests would be offered the wedding garment. So the offense of this man who was thrown out, was that he wore his own clothes, instead of the celebratory wedding garment. Outer darkness = sufferings of hell. He was unworthy because He did not wear the appointed wedding garment.

7. How to get a “wedding garment”? God provides it, not us. Garment of salvation = robe of righteousness. The only pure garment, pure robe of innocence is that which Jesus won for us. What does that mean? Covering of perfect innocence—perfect life, sacrificial death for sin.

8. What’s the best we had to wear? What are our “own clothes”? Isaiah 64:5-6 says “Behold, You were angry, for we sinned, We continued in them a long time; And shall we be saved? For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.” Notice, it’s not our sinful deeds that are like filthy rags, but it’s our righteous deeds(!) that are like a polluted garment. Stunning to us, but the hard realization that the best “clothes” we have to wear are still filthy rags. Dirty and full of holes. That’s because our sin and guilt covers us with stains and spots and blemishes. Our spotty obedience to God’s law is filled with gaps and holes. We can’t even begin to approach the perfection that God demands. James 2:10 reads: “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it”. If you want to be measured by the standard of the law, dressed in your own righteousness, then no part of the law can be left undone, not even the least part of it.

9. The scandal or offense then, is to be given Christ’s righteousness to wear, a gift for all those who are invited to His wedding banquet, but to refuse and choose to wear your own dirty rags instead. That is to reject the covering of Jesus’ innocence for your sin, and expect to be presentable to God on account of your own righteousness instead. That is to stand before God in the rags of your sins, when He offers you the beautiful clean garments of salvation. If that is the case, we have no one but ourselves to blame for being thrown out of the banquet. It’s to stand on what you have done, instead of what Christ has done, when you face the judgment.

10. And we will have no excuse. We will be speechless. So why would anyone choose their own filthy rags instead of Christ’s clean robe? Why would you choose your far-from-perfect record instead of His spotless one? Just like the “comfortable” feeling of that old worn pair of jeans that you can’t seem to throw away, sin gets pretty comfortable on us. We like our sin, and the short term pleasure it gives. We don’t want the change, to leave our pet sins behind. We don’t like the idea of “owing” someone something, getting it totally free without our work or obligation. Whatever reasons, none of them will provide a legitimate excuse before God if we come to Him believing in our own goodness, our own satisfaction with our self-selected clothes. If we have rejected His freely given garment, if we are not dressed in that baptismal garment of Jesus’ perfect righteousness, we’ll be cast out of the celebration.

11. But if we are in our sins and rags, if we have stained and spotted our garments, we are to take them to Him, be washed in the forgiveness of His blood, and have the crimson garments turned white as snow. We are to wash our robes and make them white in the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God. Ephesians 5 describes how Jesus presents the church for Himself at this great wedding feast. “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” As Christ dresses His bride, the Church, He dresses you wedding guests, with garments not your own, with righteousness, purity and holiness that is not your own, but given to you by the costly sacrifice of His life on the cross, and delivered in the washing of the water with the word, in your baptism. He has washed away any stains, spots, or wrinkles and has made you clean. Joyfully dress in His righteousness each day, as we worship together and await the final arrival of His heavenly kingdom, where the feasting that we have begun now in the Lord’s Supper will be fulfilled in the arrival of Christ our Bridegroom, when the full and eternal wedding banquet is revealed!

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. Identify who and what the main characters and events of the parable represent. How does Isaiah 25:6-9 shape the view of God’s “wedding feast?” Where else is this wedding imagery significant in the Bible? Matt. 25:1-13; Eph. 5; Hosea

2. Reflect on the incredible honor to be invited to the wedding banquet of the King’s Son, and how foolish it is to despise that invitation for trivial or mundane reasons. How outrageous is it to scoff at His message? Acts 13:41; 2 Pet. 3:3-7

3. When was the nation of Israel punished by armies and its city destroyed, for disregarding God’s invitation and abusing and killing the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles? 2 Chron. 36:15-21; Matthew 24

4. What was the basis for the unworthiness of the guests who were first invited? Acts 13:46, and 13:26-52.

5. What was the basis for the unworthiness of the guest who was thrown out? Where could he have been expected to get a wedding garment? Isaiah 61:10; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 3:18. By contrast, what are we wearing if we keep our own “garments”? Isaiah 64:6; Jude 24; Rev. 3:4-5. Who cleanses us to give a clean garment? Isaiah 1:18; Rev. 7:13-14.

6. For those who remain in the wedding hall after the final judgment, and celebrate the wedding feast, what is their cry of thanksgiving? Isaiah 25:9. What is there to look forward to? Is. 26:6-8

Sermon on Matthew 21:33-46, for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost, "The Vineyard"

2011-10-03T15:28:00.003-05:00

Sermon Outline

1. Jesus’ several vineyard/vine/fruit parables. Recent parable about a vineyard—hiring workers for the vineyard (kingdom of God/church) and rewarding all equally. Compassionate employer. Different angle today. Retelling and adaptation of Isaiah 5. Condenses OT history of Israel. Servants (prophets) killed and beaten and ignored. Obvious parallel to son sent and killed, with Jesus’ life.

2. Fruit that is desired: obedience to God’s law. Good works (described as fruit in many places). In Isaiah 5—fruit is bad (wild grapes), finding bloodshed, violence, and injustice. In Matt, no fruit is given back from the renters. The vineyard of God’s kingdom will bear fruit. Prepared, ready, planted, all the “prep-work” done—only tend and give back the fruit it bears. The kingdom will bear fruit, but God will give the stewardship to those who bear fruit, and take it away from those who do not. We’ve been given the source and the blessing of all fruitfulness, Jesus, the Vine.

3. Do we obey? Are we bearing fruit? Not an onerous task, but in a vineyard already prepared and fruitful. God has mercifully and generously given His vineyard out to us, but we’re not to despise His grace.

4. Strange features: most is normal up until the master decides to send His Son—after the treatment the other servants received. Irrational. Great risk to son. Expect instead an immediate show of force against the murderous tenants—not to be so vulnerable as to send His Son. Teaches about God sending Jesus—God made Himself vulnerable to injury, insult, and death. Incredible action of mercy and amnesty—extending one last offer of peace, to those who should have been destroyed long ago. Incredible that God overcame the anger of receiving that abuse and rejection to offer yet another undeserved chance for amnesty and forgiveness. There will be a time when the judgment will be final.

5. Amazing in the parable that the Son could be so violently rejected from His Father’s own vineyard. This is a tragic and terrible divorce between the right relationship that should have existed between the master and tenants. This is the divorce and alienation of sin—that people who have been privileged and gifted with God’s blessings, would reject Him and deny Him His fruit, abuse and kill His servants and even His Son. Sin so blinds our eyes that we see Jesus who comes for our help and our good as our enemy instead. Master thought they would “have shame” before His Son. They were utterly shameless, and had no shame even before the son, to kill Him and cast Him out. This is the result of sin. Fills with pride, defensiveness, abuse; unwilling to serve under God our master. Reject authority to correct and discipline.

6. Strange plan of tenants to kill the son to gain the inheritance. Laws about squatters’ rights: 3 years occupation. Assume the master is dead. Jews though they could kill Jesus and keep their homeland and the rulers could keep their authority in the Temple. Parable is largely about the Jewish leaders’ mismanagement of the “vineyard” and repeated rejection of God’s emissaries (prophets and finally Jesus). Discusses what the just fate is for the murderous tenants. The people pronounce their own judgment: a miserable death, and the transfer of the vineyard to others. In our hearts we know the just penalty for our sin and wrongdoing. Plan to get inheritance backfires terribly—strike against the stone and be shattered, falls on you and get crushed. Rejection of son was rejection of the chief cornerstone.

7. Rejection of Jesus, stumbling against Him: path of judgment. Should be the rock on which one builds an immovable foundation—instead struck against it. The rejected stone is nevertheless greatly honored. Workers rejected Jesus, but God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, and every knee will bow and tongue confess. Life built on that solid cornerstone which is Christ will be firm and steady. It is life rooted in and flowing from the Vine that is Christ. Life in Him is fruitful because God is bearing fruit through you.

8. It is only in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we can begin to comprehend the parable, and how Jesus made the incredible move to come to us in our sin, to give us help and aid, to preserve us in His inheritance, the vineyard of the Kingdom of God. That He risked certain death, stood in the line of the prophets who had been rejected and killed before Him, but now came as the Son of God with every right to first destroy His enemies, but first sought to win them, even through His death, to the forgiveness of sins. He even grants to us the source of the very fruitfulness that He expects. Built on this chief cornerstone, lay hold of His mercy and forgiveness, and joyfully work in His vineyard till He calls us to our rest.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What is the background of the vineyard imagery so common to Jesus’ parables? Isaiah 5:1-7; 27:2-6; Deut. 6:10-19; John 15. In what way was the vineyard prepared and ready for the people, without their effort? What was expected in return? How were God’s servants, the prophets, treated by the Israelites (tenants)? Jer. 26:20-21; 2 Chron 24:20-22; Mt. 23:34-37; Lk 13:34.

2. Do we obey God’s commands? Are we bearing fruit that shows we have repented of our sin? Should bearing fruit be difficult if we believe? John 15:5. Why is it dangerous to despise God’s grace?

3. What is so unbelievable about the master of the vineyard’s final plan to collect the fruits of his vineyard? How does this parallel the incredible love and vulnerability of God in sending His Son?

4. The tenants had the astonishing thought that they could take squatter’s rights of the vineyard if they killed the heir, the son. How does this parallel the thoughts of the Jewish leaders who recognized they were the subject of the parable? Matt. 21:45-46; John 11:45-53

5. Though Jesus was rejected and killed, how did God honor Him and crown Him with glory? Matt. 21:42; Psalm 118:22-23. What is the consequence of rejecting God’s offered mercy in Christ? Mt. 21:43-44. Isaiah 8:14-15; Dan. 2:34-35. Why is the cross a stumbling block to people? 1 Cor. 1:18-25

6. Those who receive instead God’s mercy in Christ, and bear the fruit of His kingdom, gratefully receive the gift of His inheritance, and share in the fruit and blessings of the vineyard. They are built on the sure foundation of Christ.

Freedom from or for what?

2011-10-03T15:27:00.002-05:00

October newsletter

We are a country of people who ostensibly love freedom. We take pride in the Declaration of Independence and it’s proclamation that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We consider liberty or freedom to be the freedom from oppression, tyranny, unjust laws and taxation, etc. From this founding document others later argued against the injustice of slavery and inequality. Thus, when we talk about freedom, it is usually understood as freedom from something. Freedom from what constrains, holds back, imposes expectations or limitations on us.

Yet even in a free society, we recognize that this freedom is not completely unbounded. As Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. humorously put it: “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins.” We also talk widely about freedom of expression, and as that is practiced in countless forms, we see an increasing degree of individualism. Is that always necessarily good? If our “freedom” is not only to be free of any restraints and expectations but also of any responsibility and participation in community—is that freedom well-used? Will that freedom be used selfishly, or for the good of others?

Matthew Harrison, President of The LCMS, writes that for Martin Luther, the freedom that we have in Christ was not merely freedom from something, but also significantly, freedom toward something. In other words, that freedom has an object or a goal. In the Small Catechism, Luther wrote that we are freed from sin, death, and the power of the devil so that “I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness” (explanation of the 2nd article of the Apostles’ Creed). There is a goal and a purpose for our new-found freedom in Christ—to be put into the service of others in God’s kingdom.

So when we are freed in Christ, it’s not so that we might be self-serving (which, ironically, is a return to the slavery of our sinful desires cf. Gal. 5:13). Rather, it’s a “freedom toward community. It is a freedom that pulls one outside of oneself. It is a freedom toward communal purpose, vocation, service, and mercy. It is a freedom toward eternity” (Harrison, Christ Have Mercy: How to Put Your Faith in Action, 82-83). What a contrast between a worldly notion of freedom, and the freedom in Christ! The freedom in Christ is a freedom that pulls us outside of ourselves, and turns our love and our mercy toward the good and toward the need of others. Here freedom is not merely for one’s own purposes, but embraces responsibility, the care for others, duty to one’s calling (vocation), and heartfelt love. This freedom does not shirk responsibility as a constraint or limitation, but is thankful that God has freed us to serve Him without fear.

This is the freedom that Zechariah sang about. He sang that God had redeemed us, saved us from our enemies, shown us the mercy He promised to our fathers, so that “we might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days” (Luke 1:74-75). This is the freedom that Paul describes: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13). Freedom for service to God; freedom toward the good of our neighbor. This responsible use of our Christian freedom is such that it does not demand our rights over against another, but thinks of others first (Phil. 2:3). This responsible use of Christian freedom builds community, extends forgiveness, and works for the good of all, not only for the individual. Jesus Christ did not set us free from one another, but for one another. Truly, this is freedom worth celebrating and giving thanks to God for! In the freedom that Jesus won for us by His death on the cross, may we be bound together with one another in His love! Amen.

Sermon on Matthew 21:23-27, for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost, "A Question of Authority"

2011-09-26T12:57:00.005-05:00

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. In today’s Gospel in Matthew 21, the chief priests and elders raise the question of authority. They asked Jesus, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” They were in a time and culture where authority commanded great power and respect, and the idea of “unauthorized activity” was a major source of contention. Questioning His authority, they wanted to silence Him unless He could justify His authority. Jesus’ teaching and other activities seemed to them to be “unauthorized”—without the proper authority.

Our present culture comes from a quite opposite position as them, and we’re more inclined to be suspicious or distrusting of authority. We’re surrounded by messages and attitudes like “Question authority” or even “Question Everything.” Bumper stickers proudly declare “I do what I like”—implying “don’t expect any consideration from me.” Or T-shirts that read: “Get your laws off my body”—suggesting that the government is overreaching when trying to limit abortion, for example. So along with all these attitudes and opinions about authority floating around, would anyone argue that there is a general trend of increasing respect and cooperation with authorities in society today? That people are generally growing more respectful and obedient toward law enforcement, the government, toward the church, schools, or parents? Or are we cynical and dismissive of authority? Of course some of the distrust and “questioning” is directed against corruption or misuse of authority.

Now the Bible does grant a much higher importance to authority than we might be accustomed to today, but unless it’s God’s authority being described—that authority is never unqualified or unlimited. We are to honor our father and mother, the fourth commandment teaches. We are to respect and obey government and other authorities placed over us. But our respect and obedience doesn’t extend to doing things against God’s will. If the government or any other authority were to command us to do something sinful, we must obey God rather than men. If the government or other authorities were to permit or allow something that is sinful, that doesn’t mean that we could sin in clear conscience just because it was legal. We have a higher authority to obey, that is God. His authority is over all, and commands our respect.

So when the chief priests and elders raise their question of authority, and Jesus answers a question with a question. The timing of this was Holy Week, the last week of His ministry, when things were escalating to a confrontation as Jesus returned to teach the final time in the Temple. Only shortly before this episode, on Palm Sunday, the chief priests rebuked Jesus because He didn’t stop the children from praising Him with shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” That week Jesus had turn over the tables of money-changers and chased the animals and merchants out of the Temple with a whip—a pretty gutsy move—and they were demanding an explanation.

By what authority do you do this? Who do you think you are? Who gave you this authority? Did you take it for yourself or has someone given it to you? We’ve got a pretty-nicely oiled religious machine going here, and who do you think you are to throw a wrench into things? Are you telling us we don’t know how to worship God? They wanted some clear answers about Jesus’ authority. Their questions assumed that Jesus had no such authority to do these things, but that He had wrongfully taken the authority upon Himself. They were blind to the possibility that God sent Him. They failed to worship the One whose praise the children sang.

In a style common to Jewish debate, Jesus answers a question with a question. He promises to answer their question about His authority, if they can answer His. His question is about John the Baptist, Jesus’ forerunner. John was none too popular among the priests either. When John first began baptizing in the wilderness, he faced the same questions of authority from the priests and Levites about who he was and why he was baptizing. He answered that he was the “voice of one calling in the desert, make straight the way for the Lord;” quoting the prophet Isaiah (John 1:19-27). John also called the Pharisees and Sadducees a “brood of vipers” for their hypocrisy. John had been another irritant to them. So Jesus’ question is, “The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?”

Jesus proved what they should have learned long before: it doesn’t pay to dispute with God. Jesus’ own question of authority throws them into another pickle. Admit that John’s baptism came from heaven, and Jesus’ quick reply would be—then why didn’t you follow him? He was acting with God’s authority, so why didn’t you repent and turn from your evil works, and prepare your hearts for the coming of the Lord’s Messiah?

But obviously they didn’t believe John’s message, and couldn’t give this answer without admitting their unbelief. Alternatively, answering that John’s baptism was from men would put them in political hot water with the crowds. It was political suicide to tell the crowds that John was no prophet, and just spoke on his own authority as a man. The priests were in a tenuous political position as it was—trying to please the Jews who favored the Pharisees on the one hand, and the Romans who held the political authority on the other. Jesus’ question exposed their heart. They wanted to answer the question, not according to principle and what was true, but by what was safest to say or politically expedient.

Jesus had them cornered, with no way to escape to the right or the left, and instead of answering the question directly they chose to give the lame excuse for an answer that they didn’t know. Their hearts were already made up, and they didn’t believe that John’s baptism was from God any more than they believed Jesus’ authority was from God. But they wouldn’t even admit this answer, because they wanted to try to avoid the anger of the crowds. Fear prompted them to act in the safest way, instead of principle guiding them to say what is true regardless of the consequences. We may face similar challenges and tests of conviction. Will we allow fear to keep us from doing what is right or saying what is right? Or will we be driven to take the safest avenue to avoid trouble? Jesus pushed them to face the real question of His own authority—was it from heaven, or was it from man?

This was more than just a matter of indecision…they were chief priest and elders of the people—leaders! If anyone was responsible, they were—to distinguish between true and false prophets, between true and false teaching. But they surrendered their authority and responsibility to the people by their unwillingness to take a stance on John’s authority and ultimately Jesus’ authority. The warning for us is not to get caught in the same cowardice of not facing the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable. We are responsible and accountable to the truth. Trying to be “safe” by being indecisive about Jesus just isn’t an option. There is no neutral position of “I don’t know.” Jesus won’t allow us to sit on the fence about Him. His authority is either from God or from men. There’s no two ways about it.

How do we answer the question about Jesus’ authority? Do we clearly and with the conviction of faith confess that Jesus’ authority is divine? Or do we try to hedge our bets about the authority of Jesus and His Word, and choose the easy-to-swallow parts and the parts that fit with what we think, while rejecting the more difficult teachings? Do we pick and choose what we accept on His authority? If we answer that His authority is divine, from our Father in heaven, then we aren’t free to build halfway-houses, and try to take some of God’s Word and leave the rest. Instead we are to be truth-tellers, to be people of conviction. If all Jesus asked of the priests was that they go along with what they already accepted and agreed with, then they would’ve had no problem following Him. But He calls them and us to a full declaration of His authority and to submit to God’s Word in every way.

This is a radical commitment and has big implications for our lives. It means giving up our indecision and fear of the world. But what kind of authority are we submitting to? Certainly not a corrupt or abusive authority; like the kind that creates so much distrust and suspicion in our world. Rather Jesus’ authority is exercised in justice and peace, now and forever (Isaiah 9:7). Jesus rules as the very Son of Man, whom the prophet Daniel saw being given an everlasting dominion, an eternal kingdom and glory (Dan. 7:14). Jesus is the Son of Man whose authority extends over heaven and earth, and all powers, dominions, and nations will serve Him. To submit to the authority of Jesus and to trust in Him as our Savior is to be under the authority of the one who commands the stars and the heavens, who rules over every nation, who has the power over life and death. The One who has authority on earth to forgive sins (Mt. 9:6). The One who has the authority to lay down His life and to take it up again, as He did when He died on the cross for our sins and rose again (John 10:18). The One who has authority over all unclean spirits (Mk. 3:15). His authority is an authority of justice and righteousness.

Jesus is the One who has the authority, given by His Father, to exercise judgment over the whole world (John 5:27). Yet now He exercises that authority not for our condemnation, but rather that we and the world would believe in Him, be spared the judgment of our sins, and find instead His salvation (John. 3:17; 5:24). And when the last day comes, Jesus will acknowledge us before the heavenly Father if we acknowledged Him; or deny us before the Father if we denied Him (Matt. 10:32-33). Jesus exercises a great an awesome authority over us and all creation, but He is the gracious and compassionate God who exercises it for our good.

Accepting His authority may be difficult, especially as it means turning from your sins; but far better to stand on God’s side, and have His power and authority exercised for you and your protection; for your very salvation—than to stand opposed to God’s authority. As subjects in His everlasting kingdom, He exercises His authority to destroy sin for us. He forgave it from the cross. He gives us His Spirit to wage battle against the power of sin in our lives. He destroys the power that death holds over our lives. He gives us a living hope and faith that shatters death’s grip on us, because Jesus shattered death’s grip on Him. He is the one who has the power to cast out fear from our lives, because He gives us a courage and confidence that only He can supply because He has defeated our greatest enemies of sin, death, and the devil. Through His cross and resurrection, we receive all the blessings of His authority and rule: forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. To trust in Jesus is to have God on our side! Of whom, then, shall we be afraid? Truly, for those who believe, Christ’s authority and rule brings blessing and peace.

Now may that peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What is the difference between the attitudes about authority that the Jews of Jesus’ time held, and the attitudes about authority that many people hold today? What examples do you see today of disrespect or disobedience toward authorities?

2. How does the Bible command our respect and obedience to the authorities God has established? Ex. 20:12; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17. How does it limit their authority? Acts 5:27-29; Ps. 2:10-12; Lk 1:51-52; Eph. 6:9 Who has unlimited authority? Mt. 28:18

3. What recent events where the chief priests and elders challenging Jesus about in particular? Read Matt. 21:1-17

4. Where did John the Baptist’s authority come from? John 1:19-27 Why were the priests unwilling to admit it? What should they have done if they recognized his teaching was from God? Mt. 3:7-12

5. When have you found it easier to avoid the truth than to face it? Why is there no “sitting on the fence” when it comes to the question of Jesus’ authority? Matt. 10:32-33.

6. What is the nature of Jesus’ authority, when we submit to it? Isaiah 9:7; Dan. 7:14; Matt. 9:6; John 10:18; Mark. 3:15

7. How does Jesus exercise His authority concerning our judgment and salvation? John 5:27; 5:24; 3:17. Who will one day have to acknowledge Jesus’ authority? Phil. 2:9-11. How is His authority used in our lives for our repentance, our instruction, our comfort and our good?

Sermon on Matthew 20:1-16, for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, "The Compassionate Employer"

2011-09-19T13:07:00.002-05:00

Sermon Outline

1. The irregular behavior of the master of the house: a) went himself to the marketplace 5 times in one day to hire workers, though he had an employee, b) pays the wages in reverse, creating a stir among the workers, c) pays an equal wage to all.

2. Reasons? a) not because he underestimated his needed workforce, but out of his compassion to hire all the workers and give them the dignity of a living wage. Day-laborers were like the unemployment line. Personal visit to the unemployment lines 5 times. Even at the last hour of the day some were still waiting for work—didn’t want to return home to a hungry family empty-handed. b) could have done in normal order, everyone would have gone home happy—but to show the first workers his generosity and teach them about grace. c) the master was free to do with his own as he pleased. Didn’t need to go out at the 11th hour, but had compassion for the unemployed. What dignity did it give them? Last call.

3. God’s incarnation in Jesus, went in person, like the master, to call workers to the vineyard. Vineyard = the church. God is always hiring! By His Gospel He calls us, loud and long. Main audience of the parable are those who work in the vineyard and receive the reward of eternal life.

4. None of the workers were underpaid. The first workers agreed (symphaneo—harmony) with the master for their 1 denarius wage. Their complaint was with the grace of the master, that he treated the late arrivals as equal to them! “Equal pay for equal work!” that’s the accepted view of justice, right? How would you like to get paid the same for 12 hours of work as someone who worked only one? Strikes us as unfair. “How much am I going to get paid?” Want to be rewarded more in proportion to our amount of work. Entitlement. Missing the point of grace and generosity. Previous verses Peter is seeking a reward. There will be a reward (unearned) but don’t place yourself forward as first—you will be last. Last will be first. Work instead for the love of the master, trust in His justice, and give no thought to reward or repayment.

5. Parable doesn’t tell us the final outcome, it leaves the story open so the story finishes in our lives. Looked down on others? Who didn’t pull their weight, pay their dues? Danger that the first workers fell into—those who obeyed God’s will, now seeking to dictate His will toward others. Demand more than agreed, withhold grace from others.

6. Easy to enter first by grace, be grateful, overwhelmed, thankful, but over time develop a sense of entitlement. I deserve it. Merit-based system. Earn my love, trust, support, respect, etc. Natural to us, but not the way of grace. Does it sound silly? “I got here by grace, but you have to work your way!”

7. Vs. 15 lit: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I desire with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am good?” No one can tell God what to do with what is His. What is an “evil eye?” Begrudging generosity. Resentment toward others. Someone else was honored instead of me. I deserve the credit. Not appreciated or recognized enough. Jealousy. Envy.

8. What does Jesus say about an evil eye? “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matt. 6:22-23). The Proverbs describe a person who is stingy as lit. “evil of eye” (Prov. 23:6), whereas “Whoever has a bountiful (or good) eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor” (Prov. 22:9). If the lamp of our body is bad, how great our darkness!

9. We need a light shining in us, a healthy and generous eye, to have a body full of light. Jesus’ parable shines the light in our eyes to show the compassion of our God. God is free to do with His own as He pleases, and is free to show generosity as He wills. And He in fact does this. He breaks with our conventions and expectations about what is right or fair, and shows amazing generosity. This parable teaches “God’s mysterious way of reversing things” so that the first will be last, and the last first. (TLSB, 1624) Shows the compassion of Jesus, so that this mercy might take root in us, and cleanse that infected, stingy, evil eye with light. Light that drives out the darkness.

10. He is the master of the vineyard who came and bore the real burden of our sin, and faced the scorching heat and wrath of God’s anger against sin. The load we carry is a light and easy yoke. But He earned our denarius. He paid the price for our wages, which was death, so that we might have the gift of eternal life. We are paid out of the generosity of the God who would not have us perish, but give us everlasting life—whether we come to God early or late makes no difference, even at the 11th hour, so long as we answer before His final call. Thanks to God that He has a good and generous eye toward all of us, and freely gives of what He owns as He pleases, for the love and benefit of those called to His service. Not paid according to merit, but according to His grace.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What was the wage the first workers agreed to accept from the master for a day’s work? When the master returned four more times to the marketplace, why were there still workers there? (v.7)

2. What is surprising about the master’s trips to the marketplace, in light of the fact that he had an employee (v.8)? What about the order in which he made payment? How much he paid to each?

3. What does this parable teach us about the compassion and generosity of our God? What was the protest of the first workers? Were they underpaid? How and when do we show a similar jealousy or resentment? What must we do with sinful feelings of “entitlement?”

4. The end of verse 15 could literally be translated as “Or is your eye evil because I am good?” What does Jesus say about having an “evil eye?” Matthew 6:22-24

5. God commanded this same kind of mercy of His people in Deuteronomy 15:7-11 and 24:14-15. This parable shows how God would (and does!!) keep those same commands. How does the parable show the incarnation of Jesus, and how He took on Himself the atonement of the world?

6. How can we look out for and help the “11th hour” unemployed? What is significant about the fact that this was the “last call” for workers to come into the vineyard? What is the “equal reward” for all who trust in Jesus? It’s not a “reward” in the sense of something we earned, but what? Romans 6:23

Sermon on Matthew 18:21-35, for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost, "God's Mercy Received is Mercy Lived"

2011-09-12T12:37:00.002-05:00

Sermon Outline:
1. Today’s Gospel continues Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness, repentance, and now mercy, begun last week. Various pitfalls to salvation.

2. Peter asks about forgiveness. 7 times is generous? Peter is asking the question out of the sense of fairness, not out of the sense of mercy. Mercy doesn’t deal with what is fair, but what is undeserved! No, 70 x 7. “Jesus raises the debt ceiling.” Don’t keep a record or count of sins. “Love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:5). A lesson in mercy and forgiveness: Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. God’s mercy received is mercy lived.

3. Important details: 1) scenario of master settling accounts like the final judgment we all have before God, 2) 10,000 talent debt was beyond payable. 1 talent = 20 years wages for a laborer. 10,000 talents is 200,000 years of work!! Millions or billions of dollars. Like a single individual being held responsible for paying off the US national debt. 3) ‘Have patience with me and I will pay you everything’ was a futile cry--impossible to pay. But implored the master’s mercy 4) Incredible compassion of master to cancel (forgive) the entire debt--nothing still owed. Didn’t work out a payment plan or refinance. 5) Reaction of the servant (expected vs. actual) 6) 100 denarii debt-- 1 denarius = 1 day’s wage. 100 days’ wages or about 5-6 months. A very payable debt. About 600,000 times smaller than the first servant’s debt. 7) the unforgiving servant did not hear his own words in the 2nd servant’s plea, chokes him, shows no mercy 8) community is scandalized by his selfish misuse of his freedom and the mercy shown to him. 9) Mercy shown to him by the master is revoked after the servant shows an attitude utterly opposite of the master’s mercy toward his fellow servant.

4. “Living mercifully is a high holy art of faith.” (Harrison). Doesn’t come easily; selfish, sinful nature rebels against it. Receiving God’s incredible mercy for our enormous, unpayable debt to God is how we learn to live mercy. Compassion, undeserved kindness, grace. Mercy as Jesus teaches it is always a conviction or emotion that leads to merciful action. Mercy is not true or complete in just feeling sorry for someone, it leads to a compassionate action. Like forgiveness. Like feeding the hungry or clothing the poor. God’s mercy received is mercy lived. His undeserved gift, first given, translates into action on our part.

5. “As much as we Lutherans harp on the importance of forgiveness, it forever amazes me that we can be so inept, so silent, and so unable to speak absolution to one another. We daily live the parable of the unforgiving servant. Our innumerable sins (even those of which we are unaware) are forgiven by Christ. Yet we obsess, we stew, we fret, and we grind our axes over one sin committed against us. After one untoward word from a brother or sister in Christ or one of off-the-cuff remark from a family member, we are shouting “Pay what you owe!”” (Harrison, 80-81).

6. If anyone of us cannot forgive our brother from our heart, we should hear this warning from Jesus carefully. The scandal of what the unforgiving servant did is that he acted so completely contrary to the mercy that the master showed to him. Utterly selfish misuse of the richly given freedom and mercy from the master. It was a denial of Christ to deny forgiveness to his fellow servant who sought the same mercy from him as he sought from the master. If anyone seeks our forgiveness or mercy, we cannot and should not deny it. If we do, God will withdraw His mercy from us.

7. As for someone who is unrepentant, Jesus already explained in vs. 15-18 about seeking repentance from the brother. If the person is still unrepentant, those steps apply first until they repent. But we’re not free to store up bitterness and vengeance or malice until they repent. We still are to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and forgive. Maybe our forgiveness cannot bring them to repentance, and that’s the closest we can get to reconciliation. Bitterness and malice are utterly foreign to God’s mercy received in Jesus, and serve no purpose either for the believer or for God’s glory. Rather, we are to root out any hint of bitterness in us.

8. But here Jesus is addressing those who will not forgive even those who are sorry and seek forgiveness. Again, if we cannot forgive our brother from our heart, we must repent of this selfishness and sin, and plead ourselves for God’s mercy. For it is only by again and again, daily and weekly and yearly receiving the mercy of God, that we will be filled with the mercy that enables us to forgive incomparably small debts (sins) owed to us. If we find ourselves unable to forgive, we must plead and fall at God’s compassionate mercy and receive, receive again His mercy. So our heart will be filled with His mercy toward others. So our heart will be able to forgive the greatest sins against us. Only by God’s mercy have Christians been able to forgive such a terrible sin as murder or something similar against them. Forgiveness of that kind isn’t easy, but it is possible, and this is the true power of God’s mercy.

9. Truly living mercifully is a high holy art of faith. It means that we will be able to endure being wronged, even many, many times, but still find the mercy to forgive. We plead to God for our own incapacity to forgive, and ask for Him to fill us to overflowing with His forgiving love.

10. Thanks be to Jesus that He paid our unpayable debt to God. We must know how great and indefinite our sin is before God. The infinite debt of sin that none of us could pay, that no human being could pay back in 200,000 years, in an immeasurable amount of time--Jesus was able to pay in full through His death on the cross. Thanks be to Jesus that He saw our unforgiving hearts and taught this parable so that we might see the danger of forsaking His mercy by blatantly denying it with unforgiveness and selfishness in our hearts. Thanks be to Jesus that He supplies an incomprehensible patience and mercy to us, in forgiving our sins, so we can overflow with that same patience and mercy to others. In Christ we will find a bottomless well of mercy, from which to draw, from which our hearts are filled with forgiveness like His. Instead of grinding our axes and stewing over old sins, we will run to others who have wronged us with the joyful message: “I forgive you! The debts are canceled! Our master has forgiven us an infinite debt! Spread that forgiveness to others!” Know what Christ has done for you on the cross and you will know the joy of forgiveness--in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What did Peter think was a “generous” amount of forgiveness? How far was he off the mark, according to Jesus? What did Jesus intend to teach Peter when He said to forgive seventy times seven? Cf. 1 Corinthians 13:5

2. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, how great was his debt to the master? What does this unpayable debt represent for us? How did the master respond to his plea for mercy?

3. How much smaller was the debt his fellow servant owed him? What does that debt represent for us? How did he respond to his fellow servant’s plea for mercy? What was naturally expected from the master, as to how he should have responded instead? (vs. 32-33) How are we to respond to the pleas of forgiveness from those who “owe” debts of forgiveness to us?

4. What is the challenge and difficulty about living mercifully? What works against this high, holy calling? Why does mercy necessarily translate into merciful action?

5. What is the danger of abusing the mercy and forgiveness that God has shown us, by displaying an utterly opposite attitude of unforgiveness or selfishness? 1 John 4:7-21 (esp. v. 19-21).

6. How do we receive the mercy needed to forgive others? Who paid our unpayable debt to God? How did He pay it? 1 Pet. 1:18-19.

7. In contrast to the unforgiving servant’s attitude, what ought the life of a forgiven Christian look like? How will he or she respond to the mercy they received from God? How will they respond to the sins committed against them?

The Faith of a Child

2011-09-07T14:53:00.002-05:00

Every month we have a bulletin insert from an evangelical organization, which gives helpful Christian parenting advice, and an assortment of short articles and Q & A’s. I’ve often been blessed by the insights they offer into relationships. But the August 2011 issue had an article about “Your Child’s Faith,” titled: “Big Decisions.” It discussed a mother’s conflicting emotions over her 4-year-old daughter’s wish to make a “faith commitment” to ask Jesus into her heart. Even after reading her pastor’s response to the “dilemma,” I still felt it noticeably missed the heart of the serious Biblical question involved. That question, is “Can (or does) a child have faith?”

Before we look at some Bible passages to find the answer, lets first just consider how the situation described in the article would have played out differently, if the underlying premise had been “Yes, a child can have faith!” First of all, the child’s desire to have Jesus in her heart would not have been a source of any “conflicting emotions” or hesitation. Instead it would have naturally given way to the joy of knowing that by faith, her believing heart was already joined to Jesus. Secondly, her realization that it is “significant” that Jesus instructs us to have a childlike faith, would be transformed to realize that a child’s faith is the model or example of what faith should be! Adult faith is not the model or example Jesus praises (quite contrary to our modern thinking)!! And finally, there would never be any question about “keeping it personal” as though we are uncertain about the child’s sincerity of faith or commitment. Simply put, if a child can and does have faith, then the whole muddle is resolved, and every expression of a child’s faith is a beautiful gift to celebrate and be thankful for! And neither is it an unformed precursor of real faith; rather, childlike faith is the real deal!

Ok, so since I’ve already jumped the gun, let’s see if the Bible really bears this idea out. Do children believe? Let’s start with Jesus’ own words in Matthew 18. First Jesus begins by teaching that “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (18:3). So far He has mentioned only that we must become like children to enter heaven, but He hasn’t mentioned faith. But then He goes on to describe how treacherous it is to cause one of these little ones to sin—that for such a person, it would be better to have been drowned. But here’s the essential words, that might easily slip your notice: “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin…” (18:6). These little ones, these children, believe in Jesus! Children are capable of faith, and as said before, they—not us rational, expressive adults—are Jesus’ chosen model of faith! See also Mark 9:33-42; Luke 9:46-48.

How early then, can children believe? After all, how can we recognize faith, if it’s not expressed or spoken? Is this a capacity they acquire at an “age of decision” or “age of reason,” (when they can speak it) as taught in churches that don’t baptize infants? Luke 1:15 records the angel’s prophecy of the birth of John the Baptist, and how John would be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from His mother’s womb.” The unborn child showed that he was filled with the Holy Spirit by leaping in His mother’s womb at the sound of the Virgin Mary’s voice, while she carried Jesus in her womb (Luke 1:44). Neither is this unique to John the Baptist, for the Old Testament describes such infant faith as well. In Psalm 71, the writer exclaims how he trusted in God from his youth; yes even before! “Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you” (Ps. 71:6). Psalm 22, while speaking first and foremost of Christ, also speaks of infant faith: “Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God” (Psalm 22:9-10). This latter passage even shows how it is that infants (born or unborn!) can believe. God made us trust Him! God is always the giver and creator of faith (Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Cor. 12:3), which is why children can and do believe in God.

You see, faith is not something we consciously bring into our own heart as an “adult decision-making process.” Faith is not something we can identify at an outward glance of someone. Faith also is not a product of our own human will, any more than our rebirth as a child of God is a product of our own effort (John 1:13). As Jesus put it bluntly but beautifully to His own disciples: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…” (John 15:16).

So where then does this leave us with our analysis of the Focus on the Family article? If adult faith, not childlike faith were the model, and if faith was the effort of our human will and rational mind (even if assisted by the Holy Spirit!), and if we in fact choose Jesus—then the Focus on the Family article makes perfect sense, and a child’s faith is good and admirable, but still somewhat tentative and suspect, and perhaps even private. And we should postpone drawing any conclusions about the quality of their faith until they are old enough to understand and decide for themselves.

But, as I hope I have shown here, if childlike faith is indeed the model, and faith is a gift of God by the Holy Spirit that He can freely give to anyone at any age level, and that Jesus is in fact choosing us to be His disciples—then a child’s faith is nothing tentative or private, but it is the reality of the Holy Spirit working in them, at whatever level or capacity they can understand. Even when they can’t verbally express it (like John). It is the gift of God! And children should be encouraged to be bold in sharing and expressing their faith. They’re usually much better at it than we are as adults! Any wonder then that they are the model of faith, and not us? Of course we should reinforce and encourage their faith at every step of the way, and help them grow into spiritual understanding and maturity. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t have true faith before they reached maturity!

Children are the most wonderful and marvelous believers, and Jesus knew that and taught it to His reluctant disciples. To them belong the same gifts of God and His kingdom that are graciously given to us: Baptism, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins, and the promise of eternal life. Encourage and support the faith of even the youngest children, and never hesitate to affirm for them (even before they have words to express!) that their faith is real, genuine, saving faith in Jesus Christ. Because it is through the object of our faith—Jesus Christ—that we are saved, and nothing else. It is not because of the intellectual capacity or ability for expression of our faith, but because of the simple trust in Jesus, the belief that even a child possesses (Matt. 18:6). Thank God for their example!

The One True God!

2011-09-07T14:50:00.001-05:00

Why are the Scriptures so persistent in Old and New Testament in driving home the point that there is only One True God, and that He alone is to be worshipped? Why did the Old Testament prophets, and the New Testament apostles so strongly resist the age-old temptation to concede legitimacy to the diversity of other “gods” that have been worshipped in ancient and modern times? Why was God so angry with Israel when they combined worship of Him with the worship of other gods? Why can’t Christians be satisfied to have the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—be considered the equal, or even the alter-ego of the “god” or “gods” of other world religions?

Imagine a trusted family doctor had set up a practice in a small community. He had completed medical school with an exemplary record, and quickly developed the trust and respect of his patients. He gave them the best care, and was practiced in a wide variety of treatments. Then, a stream of other clinics began to open in town, with sleek new buildings and impressive equipment. Patients began to flock to these new centers and seek the treatments of the doctors there. But these “doctors” were really pretenders, who had no medical training, but were in fact scam artists. They prescribed copious amounts of bogus medicines, and promised miracle cures through quack treatments. The trusted family doctor looked on in horror as the patients whom he had so faithfully cared for, abandoned his trusted care for the work of these scammers.

He was pained to see them receiving bogus treatments that could be harmful or even fatal to their condition. What would such a doctor do? He would do all in his power to persuade those patients to come to their senses and come back to receive the proper medical care. He would expose the work of the charlatans and scammers so that people would take notice and avoid them. In a similar way to this analogy, God cannot tolerate the false presentation of other gods that exalt themselves next to the true God and woo people to themselves. Neither does He tolerate the false promises of salvation that promise a cure or healing, but in fact are empty promises.

But the reality is far worse than the limits of our analogy, because while in real life there are many trained and trusted doctors, and there are legitimate choices among doctors and treatments—when it comes to God, He stands in a “League of His Own.” There is no one, no other “god”, no other substitute, that can take God’s place or do what He does. Anything else is a fraud. God alone offers the eternal cure for the sickness of our sins, and He offers this through Jesus Christ alone (Luke 5:31-32). God testifies that there is no other God like Him, no other God who can declare and set forth the future. God says, “Is there a God like me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” (Is. 44:6-8; cf. Is. 45:21-22) God compares the sin of His people in turning away from Him to turning away from the fountain of living water and instead digging for themselves broken wells that can hold no water (Jer. 2:13).

Since God alone is the true giver of all good, and because He alone is the Living Water, the source of life and salvation, He is rightly angered when false gods or false paths of salvation are put before His people. It’s the anger of a doctor who has a deep and vested interest and care for the health of his patient, watching the patient pursue a harmful path that leads to death. It’s the righteous anger of seeing frauds or charlatans pose for the real thing, when beneath they hold harmful intent. God has a true and lasting love for His people and pursues us all the way to the end of our natural lives. The reason the message of the Bible is consistently and passionately exclusive in naming God as the only true God, is that it is literally a matter of life and death. Our eternal salvation is at stake in the question of whether or not we believe in the One True God. With Him, there is life and salvation, through the merciful life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for us. Apart from Him there is no salvation, only an eternity separated from His love and goodness. The persistence of God is the persistence of His love and His urgent desire that we not be misled. Give thanks that God is not apathetic towards us, but instead shows us His steadfast love!

Sermon on Matthew 18:1-20, for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost, "Save the Lost"

2011-09-07T14:37:00.003-05:00

1. Matt. 18—several teachings all about pitfalls to our salvation. Embedded parable of the one lost sheep; Jesus seeks after it because “it is not the will of [His] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” In this chapter, Jesus is doing the work of a Good Shepherd to guard His sheep against the pitfalls that would cause them to perish, or keep them from the kingdom of heaven. Sheep wander, and in our blindness or error, we can get separated from the flock, and fall into personal harm or injury. Spiritually, the stakes couldn’t be higher, as Jesus illustrates through several examples in the reading.

2. Disciples walk into the first pitfall, of pride and exalting oneself. Who is the greatest? Jesus teaches humility—not to think highly of yourself, but to count others more significant than yourselves (Phil. 2:3). Humble like a child is the only way into the kingdom. Jesus turns the disciples’ (and our) paradigm upside down—adults are not the model of faith, but children.

3. Jesus affirms children’s faith in strong terms, and warns of the terrible offense that it is to God to cause a little one who believes in Him to stumble. Drowning would be a better fate than to face God’s judgment. God treasures little children. We have a greater protection under the law extended to minors, more severe penalties for crimes against them; minors held to different accountability, more vulnerable, not fully understanding the consequences of their actions. Children are incredibly precious to God, and we are to grant the same high value to them as God does, and see that they are protected against harm, against temptation, against exploitation, against false teaching.

4. Pitfall of our own temptations to sin. Stumbling blocks. Inevitable. Jesus affirms the reality of hell as a place of torment and fire. Vivid and brief description. How wretched it would be to lose a hand, foot, or eye? But still far worse would be the deadly spiritual consequences of sin and eternal suffering in hell.

5. “One need look no further than these words of Jesus to see how much the holy God hates sin. Here, the Law strikes us with all its fury. Who of us can say that our hand or foot or eye has not caused us to sin? We all deserve to be thrown into the hell of fire. Thank God that Jesus’ hands and feet were pierced for our iniquities and that His eyes beheld our sin in order to turn the Father’s face from it. By His wounds and precious death, we enter life” (TLSB, note on Matthew 18:7-9, p. 1621).

6. Flee temptation. Last week: “Abhor evil; hold fast to what is good” (Rom. 12:9). Avoid falling into the temptations of others (Gal. 6:1). “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” (1 Cor. 15:33) “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

7. The pitfall of unrepentance. We cling to our sin and will not turn to God and be forgiven. We deny our sin before God, and so deceive ourselves. Unrepentance separates us from God because it denies our guilt and responsibility for sin. It refuses to let Jesus take our sins away from us and forgive them. God’s goal and aim is to seek the lost. To gain the brother back for the Lord. This is to be our same aim when someone is unrepentant. If the sin is between you and an individual, Jesus says first to speak directly to them alone. Avoids temptation to gossip or slander a person. If the person listens to you, and you are reconciled, you have won your brother. This is always the goal. Next steps involve two or three witnesses, so the matter is established, and then take it to the church. At each stage, the goal is to win the brother, for them to repent and see their sin so that there can be reconciliation. Even if you meet with failure, and the person doesn’t listen even to the church, the final step of removal, or what is sometimes called excommunication, is still aimed to jolt them into repentance, to still gain the brother.

8. Jesus saves us by His death on the cross, He removes the penalty of our sin, He sets out a new life and identity for us. The Son of Man came to save the lost. Lost sheep He’s brought home. The Father wouldn’t have us perish. Guards us from all things harmful to our salvation. Humbles our pride, teaches us faith like a child. Simple and sincere trust and receptivity.

9. With His staff Jesus leads us away from the temptations and stumbling blocks set for us and that we would set for children. With the urging of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the voice of the church, Christ calls us to repentance for our sins. If we cling to them, He will bind them to us. If we repent of them and surrender them to Jesus, He will loose our sins from us. Humbly accept the prodding of His staff, follow His voice and learn from His teaching, be led back to the good and gentle pastures, and finally the place of rejoicing, when God celebrates over a lost sinner brought home! God’s aim that we not perish, but have eternal life. All thanks to our Good Shepherd!

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What are the several “pitfalls” that could keep us from salvation, that Jesus teaches about in Matthew 18? What are the spiritual stakes for going astray in the ways Jesus describes?

2. What does Jesus teach is the alternative to spiritual pride? What is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven? (18:3). How does Jesus reverse the disciple’s expected paradigm for what is the model of both faith and greatness in the kingdom? Philippians 2:3

3. How does Jesus affirm that children believe? Matt. 18:6. Why is it such a great offense against God to lead children into sin? What is the fearful punishment we risk if we do?

4. What point does Jesus make about sin in vs. 7-9? What would be the worse fate? Why do all of us deserve hell? Rom. 3:23; 6:23a. How are we spared from that punishment, through Christ? Rom. 3:24; 6:23b.

5. How does the Bible advise us to flee from sin and temptation? How to avoid it? Rom. 12:9; Gal. 6:1; 1 Cor. 15:33; 10:13

6. What steps does Jesus give for when someone sins against you? What is the goal and aim of the steps? (v. 15). What happens if the person is unwilling to repent, and doesn’t listen? What does that mean spiritually, when their sins are “bound” to them? How does a person reverse that situation and find forgiveness? Acts 3:19

7. How has everything Jesus has done and taught been the work of a Good Shepherd who would save the lost and not have us perish?

Updates

2011-08-31T16:57:00.002-05:00

Aloha,
I just modified the layout of the site to make more room for a better widget to my audio podcasts. I didn't realize it hadn't been updating with recent sermons. To bypass the widget and go directly to the podcast site, where you can hear the latest sermons, go to my podcast here

Sermon on Matthew 16:21-28, for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost, "Life Under the Cross"

2011-08-31T16:14:00.001-05:00

Sermon outline

1. Today’s Gospel: Life Under the Cross. More ways than one: 1) discipleship leads on a path where we will encounter suffering; 2) under the cross of Christ—forgiven

2. Peter’s false view of suffering—God forbid! This shall never happen to you! Was suffering not fitting for the glory of the Christ in his eyes? Idea today that “real love rescues from all pain” (Koukl). T or F? Sometimes as parents we let our children suffer under certain circumstances for their own good, because a greater good is in view (Koukl http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7540). God can teach through suffering.

3. Peter wants to steer Jesus away from the cross. Avoid the path of suffering. Unwittingly the mouthpiece of Satan…just earlier had been a mouthpiece for God “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” 180 degrees. Rock of Confession to stumbling block for Jesus.

4. Which is a greater shock? Peter daring to rebuke God? Or Jesus rebuking Peter (and calling him Satan)? Thought he knew better than God. Have we unwittingly done the same? Hear God’s Word and say “It is certainly not so!” Claiming higher or better knowledge than God. Correcting God. The height of arrogance and idolatry of self to think of ourselves more highly than God. Well-deserved rebuke. Are we “put in our place” by God’s Word often enough (pastors included!)? Satan was behind Peter’s thought, as Satan’s ‘M.O.’ is to challenge God’s Word and command, “Did God really say?”

5. Jesus needed Peter to understand that it was Divine Necessity that He go to the cross. God’s plan. This was part of His “job description.” Without God’s plan, it certainly would’ve been senseless or futile suffering. But since it was God’s plan, it was redemptive. That is, Jesus’ suffering bought us out of our sins. Peter would preach some 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection: 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (Acts 2:23-24).

6. Cross was part of God’s greater plan. In the short-term it seemed to be an evil, unjust suffering and death. Infinitely greater good in view. To take Jesus’ cross away from Him is to have the thoughts of men, not the thoughts of God. Life under the cross is life redeemed—bought back from sin by His death. God had to suffer to give us His greatest gift—never second-guess what He had to do. Gives humble knowledge and repentance. Accept that our sins had the terrible price of death, and Jesus paid it for us willingly. Life under the cross means life forgiven. We stand under His forgiveness, stand behind Jesus’ innocence when God brings us into judgment. Sin will not be counted against us if we have faith in Jesus.

7. Helping Peter to realize this, Jesus also taught that the life of the disciple (follower) is under the cross. There will be suffering in our lives. Not all of it is attributable to the fact we are Christians. Unbelievers obviously also suffer. But suffering always presents a challenge to our faith. Will we still bless the name of the Lord? My classmate Rev. Carl Roth put it this way: when suffering happens, will we still confess that “God in Christ is completely for [us]; that despite all outward appearances, God is at work saving [us]. When the Christian bears any cross faithfully, he is at the same time confessing to those around him, “God is good in spite of all that is happening to me.”

8. Taking up our cross and following Jesus, means that we accept our sufferings in this life, and follow Jesus by faith. Living under His cross that redeems us. Not that we participate in redemption by bearing our crosses. They’re not redemptive for us. Only Jesus’ cross redeems us. Jesus wasn’t telling Peter that he would share in the work of redeeming the world. When it came to that crucial moment, and Jesus hung on the cross, He was forsaken…bearing sin alone. No one else shared in that burden of sin at the cross.

9. But we are to learn that suffering is inescapably part of the Christian life. Not that we somehow find it enjoyable or that we seek or desire it. It is a reality of our broken world. But we have a specific response to suffering as Christians. Instead of being a sign of the meaninglessness and futility of life, we by faith take up the cross and bear it. Not to complain, not to wallow in self-pity, not even to impress others by our great endurance, but to confess that God is good despite our sufferings, and that whatever reasons there are that are hidden from us, God is working good for those who love Him. Not that every event of suffering has a hidden lesson that we are to try to decipher. But in the time of suffering, we look all the more to Christ. God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Our strength, our redemption, our promise of final deliverance from evil and suffering, is through Him.

10. So also, the church in mission is the church under the cross. The mission proceeds under persecution, loss of life, great resistance. Do not look for the path of glory, as Peter was tempted to do. The path of least resistance is often not the best path. Greatest achievement happens through trial. We set our eyes on the greater good that exists beyond these sufferings, and accept them graciously as our crosses, with the faith that God will bring us to the greater good of life with Him. We have faith that it wouldn’t profit us anyways to gain the whole world, to avoid all suffering and have all pleasure—if it meant we lost our soul. Rather, we follow the Christ, who taught that if we lose our life for His sake, we will find it. Our little crosses point us to His great cross, where His suffering was turned into our redemption by the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. Life under the cross will have its trials, but the worth of standing under God’s forgiveness is truly to find real life with Christ.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What are two ways in which Christian life is a life lived “Under the Cross?” Why will we be misled if we think that God’s plan for the Christian would be to rescue them from all immediate pain and suffering? Give an example of a “greater good” that might be in store beyond a situation of temporary suffering.

2. Why was Peter’s rebuke of Jesus such a shock? Compare Matthew 16:16 and 16:22. What are more subtle ways that we might unconsciously “rebuke” God? How is this an idolatry of self, as well as being supremely arrogant? Cf. Satan’s “M.O.” Gen. 3:1

3. Why is it essential to understand that Jesus’ suffering on the cross happened by “Divine Necessity”? Acts 2:23-24; Isaiah 53:10-12. How does that change it from senseless and purposeless suffering, into God’s redemptive act?

4. Most often any apparent “purpose” for our sufferings is hidden from our eyes and mind. How does that “life under the cross” then cause us to rely on faith? Will we still be able to confess: “God is good in spite of all that is happening to me”? Job 1:21-22; 2:9-10; Romans 8:16-30

5. Our crosses are not redemptive—i.e. we don’t “earn salvation” by them. But how do they help us look to Christ? 2 Cor. 12:9. What do they remind us about the cost of our own sin, and the real cross that Christ bore?

6. How is the mission of the church always under the cross? How is following Christ the only way to find our lives, even if we lose them for His sake?

Sermon on Isaiah 51:1-6, for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost, "Your Attention, Please!"

2011-08-22T13:06:00.002-05:00

Sermon outline

1. Do you ever get the feeling like God is trying to get your attention? Alarm bells? Financial collapse, disasters, personal illness, consequences of bad choices hit home, chaos in cities. All shake our security or peace. No clear message.

2. God is trying to get our attention, in His Word—notice all the “attention-getters” in Isaiah 51:1-6. “Listen to me...look to the rock...Give attention to me...give ear to me..lift up your eyes...look at...” Are we hitting “snooze” when God’s trying to get our attention? Spiritual sleep, unaware of God, ignoring. Alarm doesn’t shut off (Law). Wake up and listen…good news comes on. (Gospel)

3. What is He calling our attention to? He interprets (v. 6) the instability we see all around us. Not only the health, peace, and financial security are at risk, but the very heavens and earth, and those who dwell on it, are passing away. Attention! Peace isn’t in these! Look to Jesus, to His promises, to His salvation and righteousness. The comfy bed you are snoozing in (i.e. the world) is going to disappear out of under you!

4. Jesus’ ministry was the Instruction (Torah--more than ‘what can you do to obey’, but also promise) that God was going to send out and bring comfort for His people. Look to His justice, a light for the peoples. Pay attention! Pay attention! The warning is going out, and the light is raised for us to see and be saved. Like a lighthouse.

5. Jesus sent out His teaching of eternal life. This is the Gospel news. He was raised like a light for the nations. His justice is the light. We reflect that light to others. The lighthouse of Jesus’ justice, the torah of eternal life, shows us what is real and eternal. Not the heavens, earth, and its inhabitants, but the salvation and righteousness of God. Salvation by grace, righteousness of faith, not of the works of the law.

6. This is the message we should be paying attention to, giving ear to, when all things are collapsing around us. Hey! We knew that would happen! Trust what is lasting and real!

7. Righteousness and salvation drawing near. God’s plan is advancing toward us. Are we part of it or not? Pursue righteousness—seek the Lord: “30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.” (Rom. 9:30-32) Righteousness is found in Jesus, not in ourselves.

8. Our puzzlement/worry about the speed and the location of the Gospel’s advance. Why not in some places? Why so long? Failed mission efforts. Aging or apparently dying churches. The mission will succeed in God’s timing. Planted seeds that bloom late. Romans 11:33-34, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” We don’t have the “God’s-eye-view” of why some are saved and not others.

9. Abraham and Sarah...remember your origins! Same way God will work through the Word, His Torah, to create the church. May look barren, dry, aging. But the promise!

10. Deserts, wastelands, wildernesses, turned to gardens and paradise, filled with joy and song. The church is a sanctuary, an oasis in a desert or waste place, because it has Christ, the Living Water. The church is an outpost with refreshing water in a parched world. A feast in the midst of famine. Joy and thanksgiving and song, in the midst of sorrow in a suffering world.

11. The light is for all nations. The Gentiles. All should hear the message. The coastlands/islands hope in Him and wait for His arm (that brings salvation!). We’re here spreading the word in the islands. When the mission seems unfruitful, remember Abraham and Sarah! Barren > fruitful, wasteland > garden. Remember God’s Word is active and powerful.

12. The church shines the beacon of Christ’s justice, righteousness and salvation. Hope for the distressed, those in darkness, those shaken by the warning signs that the world will not hold together forever--God’s salvation will be forever, His righteousness never dismayed. Trust in Him, and you will not be dismayed.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. What events in life might compel us to turn to God’s Word for answers? What things have shaken the whole world recently? What does this tell us about the (im)permanence of the world? Isaiah 51:6; 40:6-8; 1 Peter 1:22-25. Where should we put our trust and confidence instead?

2. Isaiah 51:4 talks about “a law” going out from God, His justice for the nations. “Law” here is in the original Hebrew “torah” which means more than just laws and commandments. It means “teaching” or “instruction,” inclusive of all of God’s Word—both law (commands) and gospel (promises & good news). Who would make this “teaching” go out, and serve as a light to the nations? See Matt. 12:18-21; Luke 2:32

3. How does the church bear this light to the nations? How is Jesus’ teaching the way to eternal life? John 6:68; 5:24; 14:6

4. What does it mean to pursue righteousness? Is. 51:1, 7. What are two different ways to pursue it, and which one leads to eternal life? Rom. 9:30-32.

5. Whose righteousness do we get by faith? What is the quality of this righteousness and salvation? Isaiah 51:6

6. How can the success (or apparent lack thereof) of the mission sometimes cause discouragement or doubt? How does the example of Abraham and Sarah remind us of how God is able to work when things seem barren or unsuccessful? Isaiah 51:1-2.

7. How is the church a sanctuary or oasis in the desert? A lighthouse? Who is the water? The Light? John 7:37-38; 8:12.

Sermon on Matthew 15:21-28 for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, "Mission and Mercy"

2011-08-15T13:13:00.003-05:00

Sermon sentence outline

1. The Gospel reading is thick with tension. Different than we expect. Ignored, rebuffed, rebuffed again. Finally she turns the tables…one final rebuff to send her away? Surprising turn as He praises her faith and grants her request

2. John Gerhard compares this to Jacob wrestling with God—a test of faith where she had to wrestle against Jesus and prevail. “Often times Christ, our best friend, hides His blessed, kindly-disposed face from us, and He presents Himself against us as a stranger whom we have to engage in a wrestling match.” Just like Jacob wrestled and had the victory of faith (insisting on a blessing), so the woman had a victory of faith and held Jesus captive to her request. She persisted in chasing after His mercy. He was willingly held captive by His own words. Imagine a father play-wrestling with their child and surrendering to them.

3. How would our faith stand up under this kind of trial? In the shoes of that woman, would we have given up sooner? Walk away discouraged? Angry? Or would we hold onto Christ until He blessed us?

4. Where did this courage and persistence come from? She was a Canaanite. Where did the hope that Jesus would grant her request come from? Why did Jesus finally grant it, when He first said that He came for the lost sheep and children of Israel? The answer is in what she knew about the mercy of God, and in God’s plan to bring the people in.

5. First, she would have known about Jesus from His teaching and healing…She addressed Him with words of faith: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David”—She knows He is merciful, and appeals to His mercy. She calls Him Lord, acknowledging that He has power to save and heal her daughter. She calls Him Son of David, recognizing Israel’s prominence.

6. Probably didn’t know the OT reading from Isaiah, but there we find that she was not wrong to put her hope in Jesus, even as a Canaanite. God’s mission was always to bring His salvation to the world. Key ideas: “foreigners [will] join themselves to the Lord, to minister to Him, to love the name of the Lord and be His servants”… “a house of prayer for all peoples”… “The Lord God…gathers yet others to Him, besides those already gathered.”

7. Long before, in the OT, God’s mission trajectory was already set outward, to bring the nations to Him, gather in the outcasts, to join foreigners to Him. It was in keeping with God’s plan and deepest desire that this foreigner, this Canaanite be joined to Jesus by faith.

8. Luther wrote about the turning point in the story, how she made Jesus captive to His own words: “Let me, merely like a dog, pick up the crumbs under the table, allowing me that which the children don’t need or even miss, the crumbs, and I will be content [with that]. So she catches Christ, the Lord, in his own words and with that wins not only the right of a dog, but also that of the children. Now then where will He go, our dear Jesus? He let himself be made captive, and must comply. Be sure of this: that’s what he most deeply desires.”

9. She didn’t come proudly declaring her worthiness or defending her sense of honor, but humbly asked for nothing more than the crumbs of God’s grace. She would be satisfied, content with the crumbs…because she knows that the crumbs of God’s grace are more than a feast. She only needed a little. Christ lets Himself be caught and made captive, and she gains more than the right of dogs, but the right of the children. We see how deeply He desired this outcome by the warm and generous praise He gives to her faith when she prevails—praise that would have been shocking to the Jews and disciples, who might have expected one last rebuff to send her packing.
{Added during sermon: "You may not have thought about it, but this is the same posture we adopt when we gather for worship and begin by confessing our sins, that we have done wrong, and don't deserve anything but God's punishment. We come, confident of God's mercy for the sake of Jesus Christ, but humble because of our sins. And after we have heard the proclamation of forgiveness from the pastor, what are the next words in our liturgy? 'Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy upon us!' We cry out to the merciful God, confident of His desire to help us."}

10. Since it is God’s deepest desire that we cling to Him for mercy, since its His desire to bring in the outcasts, to join foreigners to Him, to make His house a house of prayer for all peoples, how do we follow God’s mission trajectory to the world? We look for the broken, the outcast, those who might be overlooked or left behind as worthless or a nuisance. Those whom society treats almost as “non-existent” (Harrison). Jesus came to the humble and lowly. They need unconditional love from their Savior, and from us.

11. If the mouth of mission is the proclamation of the Good News about Jesus, and the merciful God who wants to save us and join us to Him—to bring us into a covenant relationship with Him—then the hand of mission is the mercy that we extend to those who are suffering or in need. The opportunities to extend mercy, with no strings attached and nothing expected in return, are as countless as the needs which the world is everywhere filled to overflowing. The food pantries, women’s shelters, the prisoners and families of those in prison, the foster children, the victims of natural disasters, the sick and the shut-ins…the list can go on and on.

12. People everywhere are crying for mercy, some are wrestling with deep trials and adversity, but without the benefit of faith—and so often they become overwhelmed or broken by the suffering of life. We can be the hands and feet that bring mercy to them, and also offer the greatest gift of God’s Word and promises. Show them the merciful God who knows and understands the broken, and desires to join us to His saving life, to make us joyful in His house of prayer. Jesus deeply desires to give us mercy, and though we will sometimes have to struggle with God against the tests of faith in life, Jesus deeply desires to give us the rights of children, to be fed with the full portion of His grace and love. Forgiveness and salvation are no crumbs from the table, they are God’s rich blessing to those who trust in Jesus.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. Describe the tension in the Gospel reading. After the series of apparent rebuffs, how might the disciples have expected the exchange to end? How does God sometimes “wrestle against us” with trials and difficulties? Genesis 32:22-32; 2 Cor. 12:7-10

2. How did the Canaanite woman cleverly catch Jesus in His words? How does it become clear that He was willing to be held captive by His own words?

3. What is the “mission trajectory” of God, that you can already see in the Old Testament? How does Isaiah 56:1-8 show God’s plan to join the foreigners and the outcasts to Him? Cf. Rom. 11

4. How does the woman show humility in approaching Jesus? What small right does she plead for? What right does Jesus in turn grant her? Psalm 51:17; 34:18

5. How did Jesus’ ministry incorporate care for both the body and soul? What was the word of mission, and what were the hands of mercy? What work is there for our hands and mouths in the mission and mercy of the church? Where are the opportunities to serve and to help? How can the word bring faith and hope to the lives of the broken and the outcast?

6. How is the forgiveness of sins and the life and salvation that Jesus won at the cross, more than mere “crumbs” and truly a feast to satisfy and content our souls? Psalm 63:1-8

Sermon on Romans 10:5-17, for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost, "Need to Hear"

2011-08-08T12:53:00.002-05:00

Sermon outline

1. “Evangelism is witness. It is one beggar telling another beggar where to get food. The Christian does not offer out of his bounty. He has no bounty. He is simply guest at His Master’s table and, as evangelist, he calls others too.” Daniel T. Niles
a. We can’t witness to Christ unless we first have Him ourselves. It’s not out of sharing our poverty that others will come to Christ, but by sharing Christ and His bounty.
b. So we must constantly hear the Word of Christ ourselves and know the love of Christ that He came into the world, God’s loving act to join Himself to the fallen creation, fallen mankind, and to collect our sin and guilt upon Himself, so that Jesus could pay the ultimate price on the cross. God was justifying us in Christ—declaring us innocent in His eyes, because the guilt had been paid, and Jesus’ perfect life stands to our credit. It is this good news, what we call the “Gospel”, that we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, so that we are saved. For with the mouth one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved (because of that saving act of Christ!).

2. Christianity is an “Audio faith.” It exists and spreads through speaking and listening. It’s through the audible Word of God, through hearing that message about Christ, that we receive faith.
a. Christianity is the only truly global religion, that has so successfully taken root in cultures on every continent and almost every country around the world. While Buddhism and Islam have also spread to other places, they remain concentrated heavily in certain regions, and haven’t transferred as well to other cultures. Scripture says: “There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on Him. ‘For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
b. Amazing shift of Christianity to the South—growth in Africa and South America, beginning of a significant spread to Southeast Asia. Center of Lutheranism has moved from Europe and North America to Africa. Over 15 million Lutherans in African countries, compared to about 7 million in North America. Tanzania, Madagascar, and Ethiopia each have Lutheran churches larger than our 2.3 million member LCMS! God’s Word is alive and creating faith around the world!
c. We want people everywhere to hear and know Christ, because He came for them. But God doesn’t just randomly “zap” people with faith around the world, He works through the humble means of preaching and speaking the Gospel of Christ. This is the audible Word of God that the Holy Spirit uses to create faith and make disciples.

3. So we know the method by which the church advances throughout the world—by proclaiming the Word of Christ. Notice, this is not by coercion or force, not by the power of the sword or the threat of death. Paul acknowledges that not all have obeyed the gospel. In other words, not everyone is going to believe and accept it.
a. How can we participate and support the advance of Christianity? How can we get more people to call on the name of the Lord?
b. Paul’s rhetorical questions: “How can they call on Him in whom they have not believed?” Of course they have to believe in Him, before they can call on His name to be saved. “How can they believe in Him of whom they have never heard?” Of course they must hear of Christ. They must learn of His saving deeds, and that they were done for them. “How are they to hear without someone preaching?” Of course someone must tell them! There must be a person who tells what God has done in Christ. “And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” Of course people must be sent!
c. Hopefully by stating the obvious, we can see several places where we can be involved. Tell others of Christ. Fear: don’t know enough. Remember: we’re beggars, pointing the way to the feast. Know Christ so you know His Word and can confess it with your mouth. If someone has the gift and the passion for sharing God’s Word, encourage them to pursue that calling. Help send workers into the harvest field by prayer, encouragement, and financial support!
d. Men in the congregation feeling led to study God’s Word and prepare to serve as a pastor or missionary? Men and women being led to share God’s Word through teaching, through local or international missions, through mercy work, etc.

4. Learning at the seminary that the mission field is all around us. Encounters with men of all different ages, some leaving behind other careers as doctors, computer programmers, engineers, teaching, sales, etc…meeting students from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Kenya, Argentina, South Korea, Poland, Denmark, and other countries. POBLO missionaries to people of Islamic faith, from Morocco, Iran, Pakistan, India, Egypt, and other Muslim countries. Is God calling you to the full-time ministry of the church? Has He set a mission opportunity right at your door? Is there a person who you can tell the Word of Christ to?

5. To be good messengers we need to have the good message—the Gospel of Christ. Know the difference between trying to climb up to God (by works, by reason, by mysticism = fail!) and God’s descent to us in the person of Jesus, to save us (grace, receive, faith, not works).

6. Having the good message makes for beautiful feet. The bearer of good news is always welcome. (Imagine the postman coming down the street, with a letter from a husband at war—how the wife would anticipate, cherish the words of her love). Do we cherish the Word of God? Do we wait for it with eager expectation? It’s the Word of Christ—the message that God came down out of heaven, and He targeted each and every one of you for His personal plan of redemption, to buy you out of your sins, so you could stand forgiven and alive before Him in eternity. This is the news we need to hear, and others do as well! How beautiful to hear, and how beautiful to carry that message to others!

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. If we are spiritual beggars, and Christ is the one who has prepared a feast, what is our role in God’s mission? What is it that we have to share with others?

2. How do we “enrich ourselves” to be able to share with others? Rom. 10:12; 2 Cor. 8:9; Isaiah 55:1-2.

3. Why was it necessary and part of God’s plan that Christianity would become global? Matt. 28:19-20; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; Col. 3:11; Joel 2:28-32

4. What is God’s method or means to create faith? Rom. 10:14-17. How does that get us involved in the mission of God?

5. Have you considered whether God is calling you to serve in the mission and ministry of His church, either as a pastor, teacher, deaconess, missionary, youth worker, or in another capacity? How can you support and encourage those who might be called? How can you support the work of the church in preparing such workers for the harvest?

6. How does having the “good message” make for a good messenger with “beautiful feet?” Rom. 10:15; Isaiah 52:7.

7. Summarize that “good news” or Gospel about Jesus Christ, and how you can tell it simply to another person. What has God done for us in Christ Jesus? Use the words of the Creed if you need help. Why is this a message to be cherished and to always hear with joy and expectation?

Sermon on Isaiah 55:1-5, 7th Sunday after Pentecost, "Beggars All"

2011-08-01T12:22:00.004-05:00

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. For the one who is desert-dry, parched and thirsty, what words could be more inviting than “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.” For the one who is weary from their journey, staggering from the weight of their burdens, or exhausted from the difficult road, nothing can be more refreshing than the cool, splashing water, quenching your parched throat. For the one who is hungry, starving for food, but flat-broke, what words could be more inviting than “he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price!” Such an offer would be a beggars’ delight. Free food, wine, and milk?! A feast freely offered, of the best and richest food? Would anyone refuse such an offer?

If you were such a person, parched and thirsty, starving hungry, would you not drink deeply and refresh yourself, and eat the rich food and satisfy your hunger? If you were traveling with others through the desert, and they were also thirsty, would you not call them and bring them to the waters to drink? If you were a beggar who discovered a feast, would you not tell the other beggars where to come and be fed for free? Or would you keep the knowledge to yourself?

Well, we should start by asking whether or not you and I are such thirsty persons or are such beggars, with no money and no food. If I came offering you a free meal, how would you respond? Uhh….a beggar? Me, a beggar? Sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy…he’s the one down on the street corner holding the sign. Me? I’m no beggar? Do you see my clothes? My watch? The car I drive? No, you must be mistaken. I’m no beggar. No, I doubt many of you would self-identify as beggars. Probably doesn’t matter how fancy or ordinary your clothes, watch, purse, car, or home…you probably don’t self-identify as a beggar. Safe bet. But what if I were to tell you that it’s all a mirage? An illusion? Maybe the “emperor’s new clothes?” That’s right. What if I were to tell you, that no matter whether you had bought into all the clothes, accessories, and status symbols of the upper class society, or whether you chose the marks, clothes, and symbols of the middle or lower class of society, that these were all a mirage. A disguise that doesn’t cover our real identity. For some, this might take a little convincing. I don’t suspect you are all so ready to admit you really are beggars.

Because, after all, we are pretty good at choosing and wearing our disguises. Society grants us permission to do this, especially through the internet, where we can project “profiles” or “avatars” or whatever sort of identity we want to create for ourselves, for others to see. Of course we get to decide what’s seen and what isn’t seen. So we project what we want to be, or what we want people to see, not our true selves. Especially not our darker aspects or secrets, unless that’s how we want to identify ourselves. But of course we don’t even need the internet to engage in that sort of artificiality. Long before computers, we’ve been told to “invent ourselves.” Any person can “reinvent themselves” by choosing the type of food they eat, clothes and fashions they wear, the products they use or the music they listen to, the sexual lifestyle they prefer, and whatever beliefs they claim to hold. We think of ourselves as the blank canvas on which we paint our lives and make our personality.

But what if all that posturing, whether conscious or unconscious, was exposed? What if somebody saw through it all, and realized that the façade or front wasn’t really who we were? Well, you’ve probably long guessed the direction I’m headed, that God sees through all our postures and disguises. In the second verse of Isaiah 55, it says “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” Is there a more pointed description of our society today? How we work and work to get money, and we buy things that can never satisfy us? Some of you may even work yourself to the point of exhaustion, but the things we buy don’t satisfy our hunger. Not just physical hunger. It’s that we fill ourselves up with things that can never satisfy. We buy and use everything that delights our eyes and senses, with the thought that this will give us the life or the identity that we want. That somehow these things will fill up the emptiness we feel inside.

But we’re trying to fill ourselves with empty calories. And I don’t mean potato chips, candy, and soda—literal junk food—I mean all the things we try to fill up the emptiness with. There are all sorts of reasons for the emptiness in our souls. It could be a lifelong absence from God. We chose our way, and it was our own way—far from God’s commandments and plan. Our choice was that God would be absent from our lives, and we pushed Him far away. Our emptiness could be from grief and tragedy.
There’s no shortage of grief in a world where sin still powers death and all the suffering that accompanies it. Grief from the unexpected loss of a loved one. Or from the prolonged suffering of a loved one. We are left parched with spiritual thirst.

Our emptiness might be a personal loneliness, searching for true companionship and love in a world where our sinful love is so often turned in on itself, with little left to share. Or our emptiness might come from the guilt or shame that we bear, from a terrible sin that we have committed, a relationship broken, or a bitter thing we had done to another. So we bear that guilt and shame, and find ourselves helpless to reconcile, to set things right. We want only to hide our face. In a world swamped in sin, there is much to leave us thirsty, hungry, empty.

And somehow when we try to entertain the emptiness away, filling our time with movies and games, or fill our ears with music or gossip, or fill our wardrobes with clothes and fashions, or fill our homes with furniture and technology, or fill our bank accounts with money—somehow the emptiness doesn’t go away. We can ignore it, cover it up, drown it out, but the emptiness comes back. The emperor’s new clothes don’t cover our spiritual nakedness.

Maybe we are beggars after all? You see God doesn’t look at all the outward trappings of man. He doesn’t judge by appearances and all that we do. God judges the heart. And painful as it is to admit, as blushingly embarrassing as it might seem, we really are beggars before God. Martin Luther scratched it down on a piece of paper, nearly 500 years ago, just before he died. The great Reformer, who stood up for the Word of God, and lead a Reformation that forever changed the Christian church, pointing it ever more clearly to the cross of Jesus Christ, penned these dying words: “We are beggars all, this is true.” What Luther was saying, and what I hope is fastening onto each of your hearts, is the knowledge that before God, we have nothing to bring, nothing to offer. We’re the ones who come with no money, but thirsty and hungry. What could we possibly bring to God? Nothing. We are beggars all, this is true.

When we finally come to this realization, and turn out our empty pockets and admit to God that we have nothing to offer Him, then those words can drip into our ears with refreshing joy and delight! “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” Don’t those words just leap into your heart and begin to fill that emptiness inside?

There is a fountain where we can drink so deeply, oh so deeply of the waters of life.
That fountain is Jesus Christ, who proclaimed that He was the Living Water, a water that would well up inside us to eternal life. Welling up inside us! A living source of water! Jesus, the Son of God, is that Living Water that can satisfy an ever-parched and thirsty soul. The only water that can quench our spiritual thirst and emptiness, because it’s a water than never runs dry. The washing, cleansing, splashing water of grace and forgiveness that Jesus pours out for us in baptism, joining us to His death on the cross. The water that flowed in a stream from Jesus’ naked and bleeding side, when a soldier pierced Him with a spear, to make sure that the cross had done its job, and killed Jesus. A stream of living water, that carries away our sins in a cleansing stream. A baptismal washing, not of our bodies, but of our consciences. To take away the guilt and stain of our sin, so that shame would not hide our faces, that guilt would not separate us from God, but so that we would stand forgiven on the level ground beneath the cross. There no postures, no masks, no good deeds stand us higher or lower than any other. Here we’re the beggars, receiving a blessedly good and wonderful handout of God’s undeserved love and favor.

Throats clenched and dry from grief can drink deeply of the Living Water. The Living Water of Jesus that wells up to eternal life. The hope that bears us through our griefs and the tragedies that surround us. Carried by the knowledge that God has appointed a day when all will be set right, and when our lives and the lives of all who have drank of Jesus, the Living Water, will rise up from our graves. To rise up and receive the fullness of that big and bountiful banquet that we’re already tasting now. To come to the heavenly feast where Jesus is our host, and we’re His guests. We who have been baptized in the Living Water and trust in His Word, already get a foretaste of the feast to come, when we eat the Lord’s Supper, and receive Jesus’ body and blood. For those who have been spending their money and labor on bread that does not satisfy, here is a true feast to satisfy.

Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51). In a mystery we can’t begin to fathom, Jesus presents His body and blood, the same body and blood He offered on the cross, now presented to you, to eat and drink as wine and bread that do satisfy. He says, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:55). But though our mind cannot begin to understand it, our faith embraces this truth, and we leave it to God as to how this is possible, and trust simply in His Word (LSB 622 verse 5).

In the loneliness of our life, we come to this banquet where we find true fellowship with God. Jesus feeds us and dines with us, offering the forgiveness and mercy He won at the cross. We begin to know the God who is hidden by faith, but reveals His heart and His compassion for us through His Word and through Jesus’ life. Here we find God reconciling us with Himself, taking our sins to Himself, and giving us innocence in exchange. Here we find a strength and foundation to go and forgive others, and be reconciled with one another.

Fed by such a rich banquet, we go forward uniquely changed and forgiven. It would be unthinkable that we would want to go back to the thirstiness, the emptiness, or the posturing. We belong at the true fountain and feast. For all those who thirst in this life, we also call them to come and drink! Of course we will bring other beggars to the table, to buy and eat without cost. We come as beggars, this is true, but it’s a blessed place to be across the table from the God who is so rich in bounty, and who is the only One who can fill our emptiness to total and complete satisfaction. In the end, we will be glad to admit that we have nothing of our own to bring, but throw ourselves completely on the mercy of Jesus Christ. To Him, beggars belong! Amen.

Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Sermon Talking Points
Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com
Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com

1. Imagine yourself parched from a long trek through the hot desert, and discovering a fountain of cool, refreshing water. How would you feel? Imagine yourself a poor, starving beggar, being offered a feast of rich food for free. How would you react?

2. Why would we want to deny the fact that we are beggars? Why might we not want to carry that around as our identity? Who would we rather be seen as? What is the personality or identity that you try to “project” as a person? How do you want people to see you?

3. Why does Isaiah 55:2 expose our disguises and posturing as unable to fool God? Why can material things and earthly pleasures not truly satisfy the emptiness within us?

4. What is the source of the emptiness that we feel in our souls? Why is God the only person who can fill that emptiness and satisfy us? Reflect on this quote from St. Augustine: “You have made us for yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.”

5. Apply Luther’s dying words to yourself: “We are beggars all, this is true.” What perspective does this bring?

6. What is the fountain of water to which we are invited to drink? What is the rich feast where we are invited to eat? John 4:10-15; 7:37-39; 6:47-69; Isaiah 25:6-9. What is the price of admission? Who paid for our place at the table? Consequently, we are beggars, invited to the feast!